Hal's travels in Europe, Egypt, and the Holy Land : a twelve months' tour during which he saw many wonderful things and a vast deal of fun

AND DEALERS IX

Fancy article*,!!
HiiiiUiville. Ala. (^ |

COL. GEORGE WASHINGTON FLOWERS
MEMORIAL COLLECTION

PERKINS LIBRARY

Uulce Universifrv
Kare Doolca

The " highly respectable gentlemen " who propose to conduct our party
across the Desert to Mount Sinai.— See Letter from Cairn, p. 205.

HAL'S TEAVELS

A TWELVE MONTHS' TOUR

DriuNG ■\vinou

HE SAW MANY WONDERFUL THINGS AND A VAST
DEAL OF FUN.

BY A. R. WIGGS.

NASHVILLE, TENN.:

PRINTED FOR THE AUTHOR BY J. B. M'FERRIN, Ag't.

1861.

Entered, according to act of Congress, in the year 1861, by

A. R. WIGGS,

in the office of the Clerk of the District Court for the Middle

District of Tennessee.

STEREOTYPED AND FEINTED AT THE
SOUTHERN METHODIST PUBLISHING HOUSE, NASHVILLE, TENN.

/// 6, ,,:,£>

TO

OF

"MYRTLE HALL " HUNTSYILLE, ALABAMA,

QDfjis I^olumc

IS AFFECTIONATELY DEDICATED,

BY

THE AUTHOR.

HoNTSViLLB, Ala., Jan.. 18G1.

163715

HAL'S TRAVELS.

I^ow, ni}' friends, if 3'ou feel inclined to travel, I
would be pleased to have you quit your pleasant
homes for a season, and journey with me into
foreign lands. I think you will find yourselves
amply repaid for all the toils you may undergo, for
we shall visit many lands and many peoples, and
shall look upon sights both quaint and curious.
"We will take our staves, bind on our sandals, and
provide ourselves with scrip, for our wanderings
will be long, and maj^hap wearisome. I promise
you, however, fair entertainment and genial com-
panions by the way, for we shall refresh ourselves
on "praties" with our Irish friends, herrings with
the cannie Scotch, roast-beef with bluff, honest
John Bull, and rabbits with the hardy Welch; with
the polite Frenchman we will partake of wine and
■frogs, sour-krout with the pursy Dutchman, pipes
and lager-beer with the German, goat's-railk and
cheese with the Swiss — and then cross the proud
Alps, and eat maccaroni with the Italian. We will

(5)

163745

6 HAL'S TRAVELS.

then visit Egypt, and test the quality of its flesli-
pots — sail upon the classic waters of the Nile, view
the wonderful ruins of Thebes and Memphis, climb
the mighty Pyramids, and — ride donkeys. Thence
to the Holy Land, where priests and prophets dwelt ;
to Jerusalem, where our blessed Saviour lived, and
moved, and had his being — preached and taught, and
healed the sick — was crucified, buried, and rose
again. We will stand upon the mount from which
he ascended, and many other of the sacred moun-
tains of Palestine ; will quench our thirst at the
sacred fountains, and bathe in the waters of the
Jordan. Thence to Phoenicia, Syria, Turkey, and
the classic land of Greece.

But stop ! to make this journey properly, we
must begin at the beginning ; which we will do on
the following page.

HAL S TRAVELS,

HUNTSVILLE TO KE.W YORK.

"Well, our trunks are packed — Pittman comes
round with bis omnibus, and wo ride to the depot,
where the "iron horse" stands panting, impatient
to be going. We get aboard. The "steed" neighs
— bounds away — and in a few moments we lose
sight of dear friends, and the lovely little city of
Huntsville. One tear — only one — steals down our
cheeks, and then our thoughts are reaching forward
to scenes that lie before. "We are on the fast line
now, and shall only take time to glance hastily at
the objects along the way. Reach Chattanooga
about night, and "put up" at the Crutchfield
House — because we see no other house to "put up"
at. In the morning, ride out to Lookout Mountain,
and spend the day with the Carey family, who are
not onl}' clever people, but know just how to keep
a hotel. Tlie sccuer}^ from this mountain we shall
not lind surpassed this side of Switzerland. Return
to Chattanooga in the evening, and on the arrival
of the eight o'clock train, are joined by Mr. Arthur
Robinson, who is to accompany us on our travels.
Wo are hcartih' glad to see him. At nine o'clock,
take the cars, and bid farewell to Chattanooga, not
deeply impressed with the excellence of its hotel,

b HALS TRAVELS.

but willing to admit that its proprietor is a good
man. Run all night, and breakfast at Knoxville —
most of our fellow -passengers taking " sugar in
tlier'n" before attacking the beefsteak and coffee.
Leaving Knoxville, we arrive at Bristol, one hun-

<dred and thirty miles, in just twelve hours and a
half! — nearly eleven miles an hour! Shall remem-
ber the clever conductor on that part of the line,
/ because he stopped several times to let us pick black-
\ berries. Remain three hours at Bristol, and listen
rt- with delight to native music, by some real old Vir-
ginia negroes, who entertain us with the classic
songs of "Walk Jawbone" and "Hoopta-dooden-
do," accompanied with the banjo, and other varia-
tions. Leave Bristol at nine o'clock P. M., run all
night, and in the morning find ourselves in the
midst of the most romantic scenery of Virginia —
the blue Peaks of Otter towering up just before us.
Breakfast at Liberty, and take supper at Richmond
— a first-class meal only in price. Leave Richmond
at sunset, and at daylight next morning find our-
selves approaching "Washington — the nation's capi-
tal. We stop at Willard's, a number one hotel —
judging by the bills we pay. Find some half-dozen
of our Huntsville boys here, who are out on a gene-
ral "bust" — seeing the sights, and having a good
time generally. They will accompany us to ^ew
York. Stop a couple of days in Washington, and
look round at the lions. View the Capitol and
other public buildings with pride, and conclude that
every American who has a heart, and not a gizzard,

IIALSTRAVELS. 9

should bd pvoud of them. Sunday is a quiet day in
"Washington ; most that is to be seen is a horde of
clerks and under-strappers connected with the dif-
ferent Departments, strutting about in their Sunday
clothes, looking fiercely Democratic. Call upon
Secretary Cass, and after assuring him in the most
positive manner that we are truly American citi-
zens, and not likely to be drafted into foreign ser-
vice, he grants us passports for our foreign travels.

Leave Washington, three o'clock P. M., i~)ass
througli Baltimore at telegraphic speed, and arrive
at Philadelphia ten o'clock at night. Spend a
couple of days here. Walk through Chestnut
street, and stare at her wonderful stores. The
stream of people on this street, and the crowd about
old Independence Hall, suggest the idea to some of
the Iluntsville boys that it is the "First Monday."
Call on Siter, Price & Co., fix up our financial mat-
ters, and leave for New York — the rollicking, jost-
ling, bustling, rip-roaring, go-ahead Gotham, where
every thing and everybody centres on Broadway.
Here the boys are dumfounded with astonishment,
for Chestnut street is not a circumstance to Broad-
way for bustle and confusion. We stop at the St.
Nicholas, the finest liotel in the world.

There are three of us together now, bound for the
Old World, Mr. John Gamble, of Limestone county,
having overtaken us at Philadelphia. We arc won-
derfully pleased with the accession. The steamer
City of Baltimore lies in her dock, almost ready to
put to sea. We take passage on her for Liverpool.

10 HAL'ST RAVELS.

•

]5^ow, having joined ourselves to "tlioSe who go
down to the sea in ships," we shall commit our-
selves to the vasty deep, looking for protection to
that God who holdeth the winds in his fists, and the
mighty seas in the hollow of his hand. We leave
our native shores and our friends with many regrets,
but with anticipations of much pleasure beyond the
water. Should we get safely over on the other
shore, our friends shall hear from us again ; but if
otherwise ordered, and we should be in old ocean
buried, we hope to meet them all in that haven of
rest where sorrow is not known, and where love
and harmony shall reign for ever.

HAL'S TRAVELS. 11

LETTER I.*

NEW YORK TO LIVERPOOL.

As I rock and roll on tlie raging billows tins
morning, being confined within doors by a chilling
rain, I will redeem my promise by penning you a
few paragraphs.

Ten days ago, myself and two friends (Robinson
and Gamble) wended out way from the St. Nicholas
Hotel, New York, to the ocean steamer City of Bal-
timore, arriving just in time to get ourselves snugly
stowed away before she set sail. Found great con-
fusion reigning on board, and the continued arrival
of passengers and their friends rendered the con-
fusion worse confounded. The starting moment
arrived. The bell rang — and then such crying,
blubbering, hugging and kissing took place as is
seldom seen, except on similar occasions. The last
good-bye was finally said, and the noble steamer
glided out of her dock, and took her course towards
the open sea. Expected to feel awfully sublime and
desperately solemn and romantic upon witnessing
the gradual disappearance of the shores of my native
land — but didn't. Although the heavens wept, I

* This and most of the succeeding letters were addressed to and
published in the Huntsville Independent.

12 HAL'S TRAVELS.

remained comparatively -anmovecl, for the chilling
rain falling at the time, and the dense fog, were
death to romance. A few hundred yards put us
out of sight of both city and shore.

Steamed ahead for two hours, and came to a halt,
owing to a brisk head-wind and dense fog. Lay to
near Sandy Hook till near nightfall, then went
ahead. Spent the evening in reconnoitring and
studying my fellow-passengers, of wdiom we had a
large number. Came to the conclusion that we had
several "characters" aboard — and was not far
wrong. Felt deep sympathy for some of the ladies,
(blessed tender-hearted creatures !) who were still
wiping their red eyes, sorrowing for those they had
left behind. Was somewhat amused at the chatter-
ing of a couple of damsels, (of uncertain age,) who
made it convenient to impress the fact upon all
within hearing, that they were setting out on a
European tour, to be gone for at least four months.
Have since learned that the elder and more strong-
minded of the two intends writing a book ! She
will no doubt "do" Europe in style. Shall culti-
vate her acquaintance, and get some ideas upon the
art of book-making.

Eound it interesting to notice the assiduity with
which several young gentlemen labored to keep off
sea -sickness. They had started out from New
York with a bountiful supply of medicine, of which
they imbibed freely and frequently from wicker-
covered flasks. They soon grew hilarious, and
snapped their fingers at sea-sickness.

II AL'S TRAVELS. 18

Had a pair of Catholic bishops and three or four
priests on board. Had uo difficult}- in singling
them out, for their portly persons and sleek round
Irish faces bespoke their calling at once. Was mis-
taken as to one, however, for the jolly red -nosed
man I had taken for a priest turns out to be a
retired New York merchant. He is travelling with
his family for pleasure. Has two grown-up daugh-
ters— fine-looking and sprightly. They talk like
books, sing like birds, and know how to put on
airs. They look "killingly" at m}'- two friends,
John and Arthur, but the effect is not yet very
perceptible. The father of these damsels has in-
formed me, "with a great burst of confidence," that
he is very wealthy, and that the man who gets his
daughter will get a prize.

Sunday morning found us far out to sea, with
clear sky above, and smooth sea beneath. Looked
out upon the dreary waste of waters, and came to
the conclusion that the "sublime grandeur" of the
ocean, so much spouted about by poets and travelling
writers, was all humbug. Saw nothing peculiarly
"sublime" about it. All congratulated ourselves
that we had escaped sea-sickness. In the afternoon
a whale — a live whale — intrepidly came alongside
the steamer, blowing and spouting most obstrep-
erously. l:Tot so large a fish as I had expected to
see ; but perhaps my idea of a whale was extrava-
gant. I can still, however, believe the story of
Jonah and the whale.

Late in the afternoon, the wind blew hard, and

14 HAL'S TRAVELS.

the sea looked angry, as tlie white-caps burst and
foamed upon its troubled surface. The ship rolled
and rocked like a restless monster of the deep. Con-
versation flagged, and a serious gravity took posses-
sion of most of the passengers. Your correspondent
felt remarkably serious. Some living monster
seemed to have set up a gallop within his stomach,
and while the cold perspiration rolled down his face,
he made a bold attempt to go below to his berth.
It was necessary for the steward to follow with
broom and water, for he soiled the clean deck.
There was a heaving on all sides, and a demand for
bowls, buckets, etc. Finally got below, and found
John in his berth, rolling and groaning. Joined
him, while Arthur, more fortunate than we, laughed
at us most barbarously.

Monday the sea was still very rough. The sun
shone gloriously, but the wind blew fierce and cool.
Few made their appearance on deck, and fewer at
the table. My appetite has not yet come to me.
Hope to find it in Liverpool.

On Tuesday morning the wind was blowing great
guns. The sea boiled like a pot. Great waves
chased each other, and leaped like so many furious
mad bulls, and occasionally mounted even upon the
upper deck of our noble vessel, as she struggled
and panted to surmount them. It was a fearful da3\
The heavens lowered and scowled. Two sails were
snapped and torn away by the gale. Timid lubbers
looked pale, and manifested a weakness in the knees.
Friend Arthur "caved in" that day, but John and

IIAL'S TKAVELS. 15

myself felt too serious to laugh at liim. I am now
willing to admit that all that has hcen said and
written about the grandeur and sublimity of the
ocean is true — no humbug about it. Ay, but the
Atlantic is a rough old bruiser — a rollickinc;. bluff
old bully — boxing and tossing about the monster
steamer and the light jolly-boat with like ease and
impunity — and, withal, more anti-bilious and anti-
dyspeptic than all the medicines ever compounded
or concocted by that " retired physician whose sands
of life have nearly run out." If it was only at play
on Tuesday — and that is what the sailors called it —
I never wish to see it angry.

"Wednesday and Thursday the weather was more
pleasant, and as nothing occurred worth writing
about on those days, you must indulge me in a little
eulogy on hogs. I respect hogs. In fact, I may say
that I reverence a fine fat porker. Ever since I read
the account of the Apostle Peter's vision on the
house-top, when he stopped with one Simon, a tan-
ner, at Joppa, I have had a weakness for swine.
Yes, with all their hoggish ways, I love them. They
are good things in their place. Eut I do protest
against their being admitted into the saloons of
ocean steamers. There they are out of place, and
should be put out. We have three of them with us,
of the biped breed, in the shape of three huge beef-
headed English bulls. They may have been well
raised, but if so, they have been out from home long
enough to forget their raising. They have no con-
versation for anybody except each other, and seem

16 HAL'S TRAVELS.

to look upon Americans as potatoes too small for
their digging. They sit opposite us every day at
table, and annoy and disgust every one who sits
near them, with their loud talk, bigoted self-impor-
tance, and gluttony. At breakfast they monopo-
lize every thing within their reach, and keep the
steward trotting for 'am and heggs. At dinner they
continually call for roast beef, hale, etc. We can
scarcely get a steward to bestow any attention upon
us, and it is so annoying, that Arthur has more than
once been on the point of throttling the most vil-
lainous-looking one of the trio. John and your
correspondent would delight in pitching into the
other two. One of them I take peculiar pleasure in
detesting, more perhaps on account of his looks
than any thing else. He is a hard-featured crea-
ture, with short chin, very large mouth, huge nose,
and pop-eyes, long arms, bowed-back, and bow-legs.
If he were a good-looking man, his manners
might be bearable ; but to see such a looking crea-
ture putting on airs makes me mad. One of my
friends gives it as his unbiased opinion that these
fellows belong to the latter of two classes that in-
habit the world — to wit, natural fools, and d d

fools. I merely record this as my friend's indivi-
dual opinion.

Friday we were among the icebergs. "Wind blew
cold like winter. Passed three during the day, one
of which seemed to be a quarter of a mile in dia-
meter at the base, and towered up two or three
hundred feet. I was gazing at it through a spy-

II AL'S TRAVELS. 17

glass, when a Georgia friend came up and wanted to
"look through that brass thing" to see if he could
see any bears : said he had heard them say down
in Georgia that bears could alwaj^s be seen on ice-
bergs. I gratified him with a look through the
"brass thing," but he discovered "nary" bear.

Saturday, Sunday, and Monday were lovely days ;
sky clear and serene, and the atmosphere bracing.
The sea was blue and beautiful, and I passed much
time on deck, watching the waves as they sported
and chased each other like gleesome children at
play. On such days I love to sit for hours together
and watch the rolling and swelling of the deep blue
waters. There is a charm about the sea which
grows upon one in spite of himself, and I wonder
not that seamen become so much attached to the
briny deep.

Had Divine service on Sunday, in the saloon.
Passengers and sailors, except those on duty, were
called together by the ringing of the ship's bell.
The Captain led the service, which was Episcopal.
The Catholic clergy and their followers refused to
be present, fearing, perhaps, that coming in contact
with Protestantism might defile them — not a Cath-
olic remained in the saloon. In the afternoon,
Catholic service w^as held, led by Bishop Connor, of
Pittsburg. The burden of his discourse was on
Cliarity ! The Protestants were all present to hear
him — ■practicing what he ow\y preached. At night we
had sacred music, and indulged in some good old

18 HAL'S TRAVELS.

camp-meeting songs, whicli made me tliink of home
and tlie revival scenes I have witnessed there.

Wednesday morning early, was aroused from my
slumbers with the joyful shout of "Land! Land!"
Rushed up on deck, half dressed, and after straining
my eyes for some time to penetrate the thick fog,
descried a long, low, black streak in the horizon,
said to be the coast of Ireland. The fog soon blew
away, and sure enough, there lay, in all its beauty,
the Emerald Isle — the "gem of the ocean." Steamed
into the Cove of Cork, said to be one of the finest
harbors in the world ; discharged about one hun-
dred passengers — among them the Catholic clergy,
and the Yankee spinsters who are to travel four
months, and write a book ! Leaving Cork, we
steamed ahead for Liverpool, and landed here early
this morning.

So here we are in Liverpool — the great commer-
cial emporium of Great Britain — one of the first
commercial cities of the world. We have tramped
round most of the day, looking at the magnificent
edifices and some fine monuments. Boot-blacks
and newsboys annoy strangers a good deal, and
beggars are also to be met. We shake all oS, and
keep the even tenor of our way. To-morrow we go
to London, and from there I will write you again.
Adieu. Hal.

hal'stravels. 19

LETTER II.

LONDON.

So wc arc in London at last ! London, the capital
of Great Britain, the seat of royalty, and the me-
tropolis of the world — the great city, the smoke of
whose furnaces ascends up for ever and ever, and
then comes down again, leaving its dark impress
upon all objects below. London, where Shakspeare
lived, and wrote, and played, and sAvilled his 'alf-
aud-'alf ; where rare Ben Jonson lived, and moved,
and had his being; where Goldsmith, and many
other poets and philosophers, came well-nigh starving
to death, and where Spenser actually did die for
want of bread. London, where princes and beggars
jostle each other ; where millionnaires and gaunt,
starving wretches stare each other in the face; where
the jungles of infamy and the palaces of luxury are
within a stone's-throw of each other ; where priests
and pickpockets are near neighbors, and where the
philosopher and the clown swill two-penny beer from
the same pot. Ay, but London is a great city, and
to tell of but the half I have seen here would till a
book. One sees so much here, he becomes be-
wildered and sick, and gets things so jumbled up
in his mind that it is next to impossible to get

20 UAL'S TRAVELS.

them untangled. My two friends and myself make
it a business to keep going and seeing, but when
we return to our domiciles at night, we have but an
indistinct recollection of splendid palaces, magni-
ficent churches, beautiful parks and gardens, monu-
ments, rich paintings, and an innumerable multitude
of people. Each place we visit would require days
to get it fairly and fully impressed upon the mind.
One should stay a full year in London to see the
"lions."

I find that we are known here by all classes as
Americans, and are consequently "set upon" by
beggars, and continually swindled by cab-drivers.
Don't know what it is that betrays our nationality.
Can't be our dress, for we dress like the English ;
nor can it be our language, for we speak plain
English ; and to suppose it any thing like verdancy
in our appearance would be absurd, for we even
labor to look wise. Yet we are known and
"spotted" as "Yankees" in all parts of London.
It may possibly be our good looks. Started out the
other morning to find the Thames Tunnel. Police-
man tendered his services, saying he knew we were
Americans and strangers, and he would conduct us
to the proper place to take the down-river boat;
gave him pleasure to serve Americans, as he had
once visited Mobile. The agent who gave us tickets
for the boat, remarked that they were worth eight
cents apiece, as we probably understood the Ameri-
can better than the English currency. Reached the
entrance to the Tunnel, paid our pennies, and as

hal'stravels. 21

we passed in, the gate-keeper handed us a printed
description of the great and curious work, saying
we miglit take it back to America ^vith us. Passing
along through the brilliantly lighted Tunnel, were
seen by a musician who sat near the opposite end.
He recognized us at a distance of fifty yards, and
struck up "Yankee Doodle." We stopped to listen,
and then approached him slowly, when he commenced
"Hail Columbia." "We gave him some pennies and
passed on. Upon one occasion we were hailed by
a newsboy. We refused to buy the Times, when
the little scamp turned up his nose and ran off,
crying, "I smell Yankee ! I smell Yankee !" And
this is about the waj'- we are continually made to
remember the fact that we are foreigners !

Leaving the Tunnel, we wandered through the
venerable precincts of Wapping, that we might see
something of low as well as high life. Passed
through "Bleeding-heart Yard," and, not far dis-
tant, saw the remains of " Tom-all-alone's," and if
we didn't see poor "Joe," certainly saw his suc-
cessor. He is still kept "moving on." The elder
Mr. Turveydrop is still to be met on the street, but
begins to look seed}', while the "young man of the
name of Guppy" seems to be doing a thriving busi-
ness in Chancer}^ Lane.

Have visited Greenwich, about six miles down
the river, to see the great hospital for superannuated
seamen, the Kaval School, and the Observatory,
from which longitude is reckoned. Same day paid
a visit to the Great Eastern steamship, the largest

22 HAL'S TRAVELS.

craft ever put afloat — Noah's ark not excepted.
London is full of wonders, but this monster steamer
is the greatest wonder of them all. She is nearly
seven hundred feet long, one hundred and twenty
feet wide across the paddle-boxes, sixty feet deep ;
has nineteen water-tight compartments. Has five
large saloons, two of which are seventy feet long.
Diameter of the side-wheels fifty-six feet. Has an
enormous screw-propeller. Engines three thousand
horse-power. Has five decks. Whole ship built
of wrought iron. Can spread six thousand yards
of canvass ! When finished, she will visit the
United States. Guess Brother Jonathan will go
into big ecstasies, and tear his trowsers, when he
sees her paddling about in his waters.

Went Sunday to hear the celebrated Spurgeon
preach. It was with difficulty we found the place.
Met a respectable " Pecksniffian" - looking gentle-
man, aud asked him if he could tell us where Mr.
Spurgeon -would preach that day. Hung down his
head, hemmed a little, seemed in deep thought,
looked up, aud asked if we were not Americans ?
Told him we were. Hung his head again, paused,
put his finger to the side of his nose, and repeated
the word slowly three times, " Spurgeon, Spurgeon,
Spurgeon." Shook his head, rolled up his eyes,
and said "No !" Asked a cab-driver, and his reply
was, "Two shillin's." Met the elder Mr. Turvey-
drop, and put the question to him. Put the head
of his cane to his nose, and said he was sure he had '
heard the name of Spurgeon before — quite sure he

HAL S TRAVELS. 28

had — but really could not tell where, when, nor in
what connection. Policeman told us to go to Park
Lane. Another policeman said " No — not Park
Lane," Finally, we were informed by genteel-
looking individual — very genteel, l)ut a little seedy —
who spoke with all the confidence of a Micawber —
that Mr. Spurgeon preached at Surre}'' Gardens —
quite sure of it, for he lived in that neighborhood.
We took a cab, and rode three miles to Surrey Gar-
dens, and found the gentleman's statement correct.
Found the great hall densely' crowded, and the
people still coming in streams. With difficulty we
got standing room. Got our places just as the
preacher commenced his first prayer.

Now that I have heard Spurgeon, perhaps you
expect me to give my opinion of the preacher and
liis sermon. It may be presumption — and is pre-
sumption— for me to attempt to criticise the sermon
of a man whose reputation is so extensive on both
sides of the Atlantic. But I speak for myself, and
nobody else, when I say I was grievously disap-
pointed. Perhaps I expected too much — no doubt
did — but I say what I believe to be true, and what
I felt to be true at the time, that I have heard ser-
mons in the United States that pleased me much
better, and were better calculated to lead sinners to
repentance. Mr, Spurgeon is a good man and a
good preacher, but if he is worthy of his great repu-
tation, then I am dull indeed. His style of preach-
ing is so very different from other preachers in this
country, that it has given him a great notoriety,

24 HAL'S TRAVELS.

and the people run to hear him in great numbers,
because they are ever ready to hear some new thing.
"While the preachers of the Church of England de-
liver dry, windy, punctilious, big-worded, written
sermons, Spurgeon marches up oif-hand, and takes
the bull by the horns, just as some of our preachers
do. He calls things by their right names — uses
language plain and easy to be understood — and
hence takes hold of the people. His figures are apt,
vivid, and to the point — homely enough, some of
them. Voice clear, and words distinct ; yet, in de-
clamation, I know stump - speakers in Tennessee
that can beat him. There are plenty of preachers
in our country who could get up as great if not a
greater furor in London than Mr. Spurgeon has.
His sermon on Sunday was preached from Matthew
xi. 29 : "For I am meek and lowly in heart."

Do not infer from what I have said that I think
Mr. Spurgeon an ordinary man. He is a great
preacher ; and we, too, have great preachers on our
side of the water — greater, perhaps, than Mr. Spur-
geon. My two friends are entirely delighted with
him, and differ with me as to his ability. Mr. S.
looks to be about thirty or thirty-five years of age,
has rather a boyish face, full and round, wears a
high shirt collar and white cravat, to make him look
ministerial.

But enough of Spurgeon. There are a thousand
things I might write about, but shall not do it.
You may expect me to give you a description of the
splendid House of Parliament, of "Windsor Castle,

hal's travels. 35

St. rani's Church, National Art Gallery, Hyde
Park, Regent's Park, St. James's Park, and the
thousaitd-and-one things of national and historical
interest here ; hut you will he disappointed, for I
shall not attempt anything of the sort. I didn't
intend from the start to write any such letters.
For information on these things I refer you to any
book of travels, for all travellers who write think
themselves in duty hound to describe those places,
and I shall not follow in their footsteps. I could
not do it without copying copiously from the guide-
books ; hence, will not try. If I can't be original, I
won't be at all.

Went down the other evening and took a look at
Buckingham Palace, the town residence of Her
Poyal Highness, Queen Victoria. Her Majesty not
being at home, we didn't call. She, with her little
responsibilities, is on a visit to the Isle of Wight.
Left a few days before we reached London. Pre-
sume she did not know we were coming.

Shall visit the Tower of London to-morrow, where
all the State prisoners have been imprisoned and be-
headed from time immemorial. Place of terrible
interest, that Tower. Must also visit the House of
Lords and the Crystal Palace. Sorry we have not
more time to spend in London, for one should not
run through it in a hurry. But must be in Paris on
the 15th, to witness the great Napoleon /cte, and the
miree of the grand army of Italy. It will be one of
the greatest pageants ever seeii in the world. It
will compensate us in some degree for the disappoint-

26 HAL's TRAVELS.

ment in not getting over here in time to see a great
battle fought in Italy.

Hold ! hist ! There's another hand-organ thun-
dering away ! The seventh time that an organ has
been played under my window since this letter was
commenced ! I acknowledge my weakness for mu-
sic, but must confess that my respect for Italy and
for Italians generally is daily giving way under the
pressure of too much grinding upon the organ.
There is no less than a regiment of stout Italians
now in London, assiduously devoting themselves to
the profession. It would be a good thing if they
could be put on a cotton-plantation in Alabama,
under a good overseer.

The hotels of London are not to be compared
with those of l^ew York. Upon arriving here we
stopped at Morley's Hotel, Charing Cross, said to
be one of the finest in London ; but to those coming
from Philadelphia or JSTew York, it will appear as
small potatoes. We soon discovered that the charges
ranged at least fifty per cent, higher than in New
York, and we took ourselves suddenly away, and
would advise our friends, if they ever come to Lon-
don, and feel economically disposed, to take private
lodgings, as we have done.

This letter is long enough. Good-bye.

Hal.

hal'stravels. 27

LETTER III.

LONDON.

I HAD an idea before coming to London that it
was a great city. Am now convinced that it is all
my fancy painted it, and fifty per cent. more. Since
my last letter I have been going, going, going con-
tinually, and the more I try to find the end of it,
the more I can't do it. Have seen it from the
"deck" of an omnibus for ten miles at a stretch —
viewed it from the tallest towers and steeples —
walked it until my feet are blistered, and my mus-
cles sore — and still it seems the same endless Lon-
don— full of interest, full of magnificent architec-
ture, full of classic localities, and full of wicked-
ness. I have seen the " lions" and the " elephant"
— have tramped from " Blackfriars" to "White-
friars" — have threaded my way from Pall-mall to
"Temple Bar" — have run the gauntlet from "Pud-
ding Lane" to "Pie Corner" — forced my way through
the mass from "Billingsgate" to " Cock Lane" —
scrambled from "Newgate" to " Dog's-Misery" —
have cabbed it frorn "Regent's Park" to "Surrey
Gardens" — 'bussed it from "The Angel" to the
"Elephant-and-Castle"— from "Piccadilly" to "The

28 HAL'S TRAVELS.

Eagle" — and from " Charing Cross" to " Vauxliall
Gardens" — in short, have been, it seems, almost
everywhere, and yet have seen but little of London,
comparatively.

Visited to-day St. Bartholomew's church, in Smith-
field Market, to see the ground where so many
Christian martyrs were burned during the reign of
bloody Queen Mary. Also the tower erected to
commemorate the great fire of London, in 1666. It
is an immense column, two hundred and two feet
high, and located two hundred and two feet from
the spot in "Pudding Lane" where the fire origi-
nated. After its erection, the following inscription
was engraved upon the base :

"This pillar was set up in perpetual! remembrance of that most
dreadful burning of this Protestant citye, begun and carryed on by
ye treachery and malice of ye Popish factio, in ye beginning of Sep-
tem, in ye yeare of our Lord 16G6, in order to ye carrying on their
horrid plot of extirpating ye Protestant religion and old English
liberty, and ye introducing Popery and slavery."

As many as six persons have committed suicide
by throwing themselves from the top of this monu-
ment. Also visited Charter House Square, where
sixty thousand of the better class of the citizens of
London were buried during the Great Plague. Also
Bunhill Fields Cemetery, where rest the mortal re-
mains of Rev. Mr. Fox, the founder of the Quaker
sect of religionists ; Dr. Isaac "Watts, whose hymns
will be sung till time shall be no more ; John Bun-
yan, whose "Christian" in the Pilgrim's Progress
will ever be the admiration of Christian warriors ;

UAL'S TRAVELS. 2&

and many others arc buried there whose names are
familiar to Protestant Christians throughout Chris-
tendom.

On Sunday, instead of going to hear Spurgeon
again, went to the "Wesley Chapel, and after service
went to the rear of the church and saw the tomb of
the great divine and founder of Methodism. Also
the ground where Goldsmith is said to have been
buried.

Friend Arthur went again last Sunday to hear
Spurgeon, and came back rather chapfallen. Don't
now think quite so much of him as he did. Says
he did n't preach near so well as on the Sunday be-
fore— and took occasion to come down upon Ameri-
can slavery with a vim ; quoted the sixth verse of
Psalm ciii., " The Lord executeth righteousness
and judgment for all that are oppressed," and said
that was a "fit legacy left by David to the slave-
holders of America." "Won't some kind-hearted
philanthropist have the goodness to send Mr. Spur-
geon a copy of Ross's Bible Defence of Slavery ? I
am persuaded that the overrated individual might
read it with profit. It is said that Spurgeon intends
shortly to visit America. If so, I trust our good
people will endeavor to hold themselves on the
ground. It is not customary, I know, for them to
be temperate when famous foreigners go among
them. All the talent of America might come to
London, and there would not be half the sensa-
tion manifested as in New York when Charles
Dickens went among them. Guess Spurgeon will

30 HAL'S TRAVELS.

meet a similar reception. If so, hope he will write
a " Martin Chuzzlemt."

I have been through most of the parks, many of
the churches, castles, and towers, but among them
all found no spot which brought up such thoughts
as the Tower of London, the place where has been
shed so much royal and so much innocent blood,
and where have been imprisoned many hundreds
whose names adorn or blacken the pages of history.
This tower is an immense fortress, surrounded with
a deep moat which can be filled at any moment
with water from the Thames, on the banks of which
it stands. In the centre stands a tower, from which
the fortress takes its name. Tradition says it was
built by Julius Caesar, some say by William the
Conqueror. The arms and armor of England,
from Edward the First on down through successive
reigns, are still preserved here, as well as thousands
of other relics of antiquity. I was in the cell where
Sir Walter Raleigh was confined for twelve years.
It is small, without a particle of light, and the walls
are fifteen feet thick. In front of this cell stands
the block on which so many have been beheaded,
including kings, queens, lords and ladies. The
fatal axe lies beside it, blackened with rust — the
same axe which severed the heads of Lady Jane
Grey, Anne Boleyn, Sir Walter Ealeigh, and hun-
dreds of others. I passed through many cells, but
lingered longest to gaze upon the one in which the
gentle Queen Anne Boleyn was confined previous
to her execution. The history of that tragedy

H A L ' S T R A V E L S . 81*

passed before me, and I almost cursed the memory
of the bloody Henry YIH. I thought of the splen-
dor and pomp with which she was received at the
palace (then in the Tower) on her espousal to the
brutal Henry. She was on that occasion escorted
by the Lord IMayor and his train, arrayed in scarlet,
with gold chains about their necks, in gilded barges
of great magnificence, and was received amidst the
raelod}' of trumpets and musical instruments, and
a mighty peal of guns. This was the reception
Henry gave her. The next day she proceeded from
the Tower to Westminster, with all the pomp and
heraldry of pride and power. She is described as
tall and slender, face oval, hair black, complexion
rather pale, features and figure symmetrical ; and it
is said that beauty and sprightliness sat on her lips;
and in readiness of wit she was unsurpassed.

This was truly a splendid beginning — but what
an ending ! Three years after, the tongue of jeal-
ousy and slander aspersed her fair name. She was
committed to the Tower, a prisoner ; arraigned
and tried for unfaithfulness to her roj^al but villain-
ous husband, and pronounced guilty. When her
sentence was pronounced, she raised her hands and
eyes to heaven, and exclaimed : " 0 Father ! 0
Creator ! Thou who art the way, the truth, and
the life, thou knowest I have not deserved this
death !" She was- conducted to the place of execu-
tion without being permitted even to see the cruel
author of her death. Those who were eye-witnesses
of the scene, record that her beauty on that day

32 hal'stravels.

was mournfully brilliant. After addressing a few
words to those who stood around, she laid her head
on the fatal block, and it was severed at one stroke.
Her body was thrust into an old chest, and hurried
away to the vault of the chapel, in front of which
the scaffold stood. The place where the scaffold
stood is marked with black stones, while the rest of
the court is paved with stones of a light color.

I have visited some of the London theatres, and
have seen the boards trod by some of the ancient
worthies. Went to the Haymarket last night, and
saw a play which might be performed to advantage
in some parts of our own country — entitled, "The
Contested Election ; or, the way M. P.'s get their
seats." It was a good "take-off" of the manner in
which members of Parliament are made. ISTone but
rich men can get a seat in the English Parliament,
for almost every elector has his price, and votes for
the highest bidder. Have learned this from debates
in the House of Commons, where about a dozen
cases of contested election are now being tried.
The proof shows that nearly all were elected by
bribery. The constituencies being small, it is easier
for a man to buy them up here than in the United
States, where every man is a voter. They have a
curious way here of managing elections. The can-
didate is in the background — gives the canvass up
into the hands of a club or committee. He fur-
nishes the money, and the committee hire and send
out "electioneerers." The "electioneerers" buy
votes, paying each voter his price. The candidate

hal'stravels. 3S

justifies himself by saying that he is a poor hand to
electioneer, and merely hires these men to do it for
him, paying them for their time, and giving them a
certain sum of money extra, to be expended for
"refreshments." Several members have been oust-
ed within the last few days. The play above al-
luded to was got up to take olF the cases now being
tried, and does it admirably.

The city of London proper is but a small part of
London. What is called " The City" is independent
of the rest, having its own government. It was a
walled city in ancient times. Part of the wall still
stands. Temple Bar (an ancient gate) remains as a
remembrance of the old wall, dividing the city from
the new part of London. It is an immense arch,
spanning the street just at the meeting of the Strand
and Fleet streets. Upon the top of this arch the
heads of desperate criminals used to be placed, to
be scofied at by the public.

People here have a singular idea about time and
age. I dropped into a barber-shop the other day,
under Temple Bar, to get my hair cut. Found the
barber a loquacious fellow, as all barbers are. Told
him I thought he had a good stand for his business,
being located under the ancient and time-honored
Temple. "Bless you, sir," said he, "this haint the
hold bar. This is the new 'un. The hold 'un was
pulled down, it got so rickety, and this new 'uu
built. This haint 'ardly two 'undred years hold
yet." I thought two hundred years a good old age.

Billingsgate, I am persuaded, is hardly maintain-
2

34 HAL's TRAVELS.

ing its ancient reputation. I spent half an Lour
there one clay, and did not hear more than half a
dozen oaths, and but few indecent expressions.
The coarse language of this place is notorious
throughout the world.

There stripped, fair rhetoric languished on the ground.

His blunted arms by sophistry are borne,

And shameless Billingsgate her robes adorn. — Pope.

Billingsgate is a fish-market, and is about the
loudest smelling place I have found about London,
even surpassing the river Thames, if possible.

Don't know but Fbegin to feel a little more im-
portant than I used to feel. It is not common for
plain republicans to be admitted within less than
bow-shot of roj^alty, but I have been much nearer ;
in fact, almost in the very presence of the royal
family. Through the intercession of the American
Legation, I was granted a card of admission to the
Queen's Stables. The document was crowned with
the royal arms, (to wit : a lion and unicorn rampant,)
and read as follows :

Master of the Horse's Office, ^^
Royal Mews, Pimlico. J

Admit Mr. Hal and party of two to view the

Queen's Stables.

J. E. Groves,

Crown Equerry.

Did myself the honor to call at the Master of the
Horse's office yesterday, and was well paid for the
visit. The finest stud of horses I ever saw, of

hal'stravels. 35

course. There are one hundred and fifty horses.
Great ceremony is observed at these stables. An
official received me at the gate in rich uniform — cut
off part of my ticket of admission, and handed me
over to a cockaded gentleman, who conducted me
to another office, where I was required to register
my name and place of residence, and deliver up the
rest of my ticket. A third individual with gold lace
and shiny buttons conducted me into a stable where
stood a dozen of Prince Albert's saddle - horses.
After explaining to me the qualities of each parti-
cular horse, (for he understood "'orse-talk" per-
fectly,) he handed me over to a fourth, and thus I
was conducted through all the stables, coach and
harness houses, a different "gentleman" accom-
panying mo through each place. And now you
know how near an approach I have made to royalty
since my sojourn in London.

Guess I have bored 3'ou enough, and will desist.
Shall go to Paris to-morrow.

Yours, etc., Hal.

36 hal'stravels,

LETTER IV.

PARIS.

I AM in a state of excitement this morning — be-
wildered— in fact, I might say, dumfounded — and
the reliability of what I write on this occasion may
well be doubted. I have seen enough within the
last few days to turn the head of a sage, or to com-
pletely derange a man of ordinary sense. I am in
Paris, and have seen something of Paris life. You
don't know what that means, nor does any one who
has never been here. I have heard of Paris and
read of Paris all my life, but had not the most faint
conception of its grandeur, beauty, gayety, or frivo-
lity until now. It is the place of places — the city
of cities — where voluptuousness abides, and where
wickedness doth abound ; where the people sit down
to eat and drink, and rise up to play — a city that
seems to be verging upon the condition of the great
Babylon before its downfall — because it seems to
me she makes "all nations drink of the wine of the
wrath of her fornication."

I have seen enough since my arrival in Paris to
keep me writing a week, and to fill six newspapers ;
but don't be alarmed — I'm not going to do it. I
must put a rein upon my scribbling inclination.

nAL'STRAVELS. 37

The great fete of the age — yea, the greatest the
world has ever known, has just closed — a fete got
up, directed and managed by Emperor I^Tapoleon
III., backed by the city of Paris, and aided and
assisted by the entire French nation. My pen
shrinks back appalled when I think of attempting
to give you even a distant glimmering of the bril-
liancy of the scenes in Paris during the last two
days — to-wit, Sunday and Monday. It can't be
portrayed on paper. An attempt to do so would
be simply ridiculous. I can mention some things
that were done, however. The entree of the Grand
Army of Italy, headed by Napoleon and his staff,
was a scene of grandeur seldom witnessed. It was
not the army alone that constituted the beauty of
the scene : it was the manner in which it was wel-
comed— the immense crowd of people — the thou-
sands upon thousands of flags, banners and devices
which greeted the war-worn veterans — the shouts,
and the immense showers of wreaths and bouquets
showered upon them from the windows, the bal-
conies, and housetops, as they passed the streets.
Their march was from the Place du Trone along the
Boulevards, (the broadest and most beautiful street
of Paris,) a distance of nearly five miles, to what is
called the Place Vendome, (a square in which stands
the great column surmounted with the statue of
Napoleon Bonaparte, the whole cast from the can-
non taken by him in his various battles.) This
square, which is four hundred and fifty feet across,
was surrounded with seats, capable of seating

38 HAL' S TRAVELS.

twenty-one thousand persons, all of wliom were of
the privileged classes, and entered the place by
ticket. Every window, and the balconies of the
houses surrounding this square, and even the roofs,
were filled with people — the elite of Paris. On one
side was a crimson velvet canopy over a tribune,
where the Empress and her royal guests sat during
the four hours and ten minutes that it took the
army to pass. The Emperor sat on his horse in
front of the tribune during the whole time, and
greeted each regiment as it passed. The brilliancy
of the decorations of this square cannot be described.
It seemed as if millions of dollars had been expended
for banners, arches and columns ; crimson, blue and
purple velvet, trimmed and embroidered with gold
lace, were suspended from every window around the
square. The Empress sat during most of the time
with the little Prince Imperial in her arms. The
little fellow was dressed in the uniform of the Impe-
rial Guards. But why should I attempt a detailed
account ? I will sum it up by saying that the whole
distance marched by the army, from the place of
starting, about ten miles, back to the Bastile, was a
scene of flaunting banners, triumphal arches, crowds
of people, both on the streets, in the windows,
and on the housetops, and the continual yell of
"Vive I'Empereur!" "Vive I'Armee !" "Vive les
Zouaves !" etc., etc.

The procession consisted of 69,800 men, and 144
pieces of cannon, besides many thousands of other
troops not belonging to the Army of Italy. It

IIAL'S TRAVELS. 39

took four hours and ten minutes for the procession
to pass. There were 63,000 infantry, 2800 cavalry,
2400 artillerymen, 800 engineers, and 300 with the
wagon-train. I do not know the number of soldiers
not of the Army of Ital}-, though there were many
thousands. There were also 6500 horses attached
to the cannon and w^agon- train. The regiments
marched about sixteen abreast, headed by their re-
spective ofhcers. The order was as follows :

1st. The Emperor and his escort, (from the Bas-
tile to the Place Vendome.)

2d. The banners taken from the Austrians.

3d. The Austrian cannon.

4th. The wounded — some limping, some with
bandages around their heads, and others with their
arms in slings.

5th. The Zouaves, composed of Turks, Moors,
and desperate-looking Frenchmen.

6th. Artillery and baggage-wagons.

7th. Infantry.

8th. Regiment of Lancers.

9th. Cavalry of the Guard, in glittering armor.

10th. The Emperor and his attendants brought
up the rear from the Place Vendome, down Rue de
Rivoli, to the Palace of the Tuilcries,

After the street had been somewhat cleared, the
Empress and her household followed on to the Tuil-
cries in the State carriages, each drawn by only
two horses, and entirely unattended except by the
footmen.

We had a good opportunity to see the whole of

40 HAL'S TRAVELS.

the procession, having a stand in a balcony in front
of our hotel, from which we could see both the army
and the masses of people up and down the streets
for miles. It is estimated that there were from five
to eight hundred thousand people on the streets on
Sunday, besides what were in the houses and on the
housetops. It seemed to an American like any thing
but Sunday. The hundred brass bands, the scores
and scores of kettle-drums, the yells of the masses,
and the confusion generally, made it seem more like
pandemonium than a city professing to be Chris-
tian. Hundreds of priests, monks, and friars were
pushing and crowding along with the rest, looking
any thing but meek and lowly, as would have be-
come their long black robes and shaven pates. The
day finally closed with a partial illumination of
many of the streets.

But Monday was the big fete day. Interesting
and brilliant spectacles were got up and carried on
during the day in every part of the city. As I could
not see all, I chose to go to the Hotel des Invalides,
(a church, fortification, and hospital for invalid sol-
diers, all combined,) in which is the Tomb of ISTapo-
leon I,, and in which was sung a grand Te Deum,
and High Mass was celebrated, which is done twice
a year, viz., on Christmas and on the 15th of Au-
gust. The performance was rather imposing, but
did not strike me forcibly. The high dignitaries of
the Church were dressed in rich gold-embroidered
robes, and looked ferociously pious ; but during
their wails, lamentations, waving of censers, and

Hal's TRAVELS. 41

beseechings of the Virgin Mary to pray for the re-
pose of the soul of Napoleon I., I could not but
think of the impious manner in which they had
desecrated the Sabbath but the day before.

After the service concluded, I spent the rest of
the da3^ in wandering about from place to place, see-
ing the various shows and sights got up for the oc-
casion. The large plot of ground in front of the
Invalides (from fifty to one hundred acres) was
crowded with exhibitions of all kinds. There were
five or six circuses going on, four theatres, the whole
fronts being entirely open ; several platforms on
which were performing rope-dancers, dancing-girls,
tumblers, etc. ; innumerable Punch and Judy shows ;
monkeys and ponies performing ; one or two
dozen "flying-jennies" on which twenty or thirty
persons could ride at once; several sham-battles;
four very tall greased poles, on the tops of which were
hung watches and other trinkets, prizes for any one
who could reach them. I noticed one chap who had
started up with his pockets full of pulverized chalk
which he rubbed upon the pole as he ascended. He
had almost reached the prize, but my attention being
called to sometliing else, I did not see how he came
out. Balloons in the shape of mammoth bulls,
lions, leopards, and men, were sent up at intervals
during the day, and late in the evening a very large
balloon was let off with two men in the car attached.
They went vcr}' high, and soon disappeared in the
distance. All these exhibitions were free to the pub-
lic, being paid for l)y the government.

42 hal'stravels.

Late in the evening I wandered through the large
open spaces of the Champs Elysees, Place de la
Concorde, the Tuileries Gardens and Grove, the
streets de Rivoli, Boulevards, and the Place Yen-
dome, and found them all crowded alike with a
dense mass of men and women. It would be im-
possible almost to exaggerate the number of people.
Were I to say I saw a thousand acres of human
beings, I should fall short of the mark, and I saw
but a small portion of the city.

But now I come to the illumination at night.
"What shall I say ? What can I say about it ? Its
beauty was a thousand degrees beyond any thing I
had dreamed of. If I were to study and Avrite for
twelve months, and employ every word in the Eng-
lish language that signifies, either directly or re-
motely, the beautiful, you would have but a faint
glimmering of the scene I would attempt to paint.
Every street, every house, every garden, every foun-
tain, every tree, every column, monument, and
statue, was brilliant. The number of lights was
beyond calculation. Figures and devices of every
fantastic shape could be seen — festoons, eagles,
chicken-cocks, banners, palaces, pyramids, etc., etc.,
could be seen on every hand. The whole city was
as light as day, and the streets as densely crowded
as could be. Our hotel (de Rivoli) fronts the Tuil-
eries Gardens, and the scene from our balcony was
as fine as could be had from any point. We could
see for miles.

The grand fireworks commenced about 9 o'clock,

HAL'S TRAVELS. 43

and if Vesuvius ever presented a finer appearance,
it was certainly astonishing to the natives. The
fireworks, like the illuminating lamps, were of the
tri-color — red, white, and blue.

To conclude, it is estimated that there were more
people in Paris by far j^esterday than were ever here
before, and that more money was expended in getting
up the fetes than was ever expended since the world
began.

I have much more to write, but must reserve it
for another occasion. I must see more of Paris, and
will next time write you a more interesting letter.
For the present. Adieu. Hal.

P. S. — I must not omit to tell you that at one
time during Sunday I was within a few feet of Em-
press Eugenia. I got a good look at her, and must
call her beautiful. I pulled off mj'' hat, and smiled
and bowed to her. She waved her fan gracefully,
and bowed and smiled in return. (The Emperor
was not near enough to observe us.) Since then I
have felt inclined to cut the acquaintance of my
American friends. Don't know what I may do on
reflection. I dislike to do it, for I have two most
excellent companions, John G. and Arthur R., who,
by the way, are enjoying Paris extensively.

44 HAL'S TRAVELS.

LETTER V.

PARIS.

Paris, for beaiit}^ and magnificence, surpasses
any thing I had dreamed of. Its gay inhabitants,
its beautiful gardens, its magnificent palaces, its
brilliant cafes, its lovely promenades, its cooling
fountains, its galleries of paintings and statuary, its
gorgeous shops, its bustling boulevards, and its
flashing quays — all these things I have heard of
from my youth up, but the half had not been told
me. Nor is it possible for me to give you any thing
approaching a correct idea of Paris. To be known
as it is, it must be seen.

I have been studying the French people assidu-
ously for the past three weeks, and have arrived at
a conclusion ! Yes, sir — I have come to a conclu-
sion ! You may say this is preposterous — absurd —
ridiculous — for a fresh import all the way from
Alabama (a region generally regarded by Europeans
as heathendom) to form, and actually express in
writing, an opinion of this highly enlightened and
doubly-refined people after a study of only three
weeks ! Call it what you please. I have formed
an opinion, and shall express it boldly, without
equivocation or mental reservation. It is this:

HAL'S TRAVELS. 45

That the French arc a strange and unaccountable
people ! The more I see of them, the more I am
constrained to quote the brilliant exclamation of
Hans Von Vochensberg, upon liis first visit to Paris :
"Mine Got! vat a peoples!" and again, when he
saw a monkey, with eyes rolled up and hands
erect he exclaimed, " Donner and blitzen ! vat vill
de Frenchman make next?" These classic expres-
sions pass through my mind daily because of the
strange things I see. If there be any thing that a
Frenchman cannot make or imitate, I don't know
what it is. And if they are not a happy people,
appearances are deceptive, for they always seem so.
Few of them have homes. They live in hired apart-
ments, and take their meals at restaurants. It is
quite common to see whole families walk into a
restaurant together, and take dinner. The mass
of the people seem to live out-doors — all classes.
The public squares, gardens and groves, are thronged
from morning till night. You will see family groups
sitting in the shade in those pleasant gardens, chat-
ting merrily, and doing their work as if they were
at home. Fathers read the papers, mothers and
grown-up daughters ply the needle, little girls skip
the rope, and little boys play ball or fly kites.
Belles promenade, and young "whiskernndoes" do
the agreeable. To a stranger it looks like a per-
petual fete. Babies are never heard to cry here.

The garden of the Tuilcries is a place of general
resort; is very extensive, and contains many beau-
tiful fountains, and a great number of statues. A

46 II AL'S TRAVELS.

band of fifty instruments plays here almost every
evening, at government expense, for the edification
of the people — also at many other places of resort.
This is one of the means adopted by Louis Na-
poleon to render the people content, and keep them
from taking oif his head.

I have not confined my observation alone to the
French people. There are many strangers here —
many Americans, but more English. It pays well
to note their manners. They are a peculiar people
— the English are. They delight in hating the
"frog-heating basses," as they call the French, an0.
suffer no opportunity to pass to speak disparagingly
or contemptuously of them. The French, in turn,
take pleasure in turning up their noses at the pecu-
liarities and bigotry of the John Bulls. It is amus-
ing to hear the English speak of the French and
their institutions. I dropped in at the Grand Hotel
du Louvre the other evening, and spent a delicious
half-hour listening to the conversation of a small
squad of angry Britons. One of them, it seemed,
had been swindled by a coachman out of ever so
many sous ; was in consequence very wrathy, and
considered himself licensed to say just what he
pleased about the entire French nation ; and all
he said was endorsed by his companions. He
termed them a " 'eathenish, houtlandish people;
hutterly hignorant of the courtesies due a stranger."
Believed they would, from the Emperor down,
"cheat the heyes out of a man if they could."
Thought it strange they didn't "learn to speak

HAL'S TRAVELS. 47

Hinglish." Thought the French hangungc "'oi-rible
gibberish." Met another party in Bois de Bouhigne,
a magnificent woodland park — the finest, perhaps, in
the workL They acknowledged its beauty, but said
that "for a display of tine hequipages and haristo-
cracy, it was hinferior to 'yde Park in London."
Still another party, at the Jardin des riantes, con-
ceded that it was very extensive and beautiful, but
then "the hanimals were hinferior to those in the
Zoolo2:ical Gardens in Reo-ent's Park." As to the
public buildings of Paris, they were not to be com-
pared with St. Paul's. Pronounced the French
30oker3' "'orrid." From what I have seen and
heard, I am constrained to believe that the English
hate (not to say fear) the French with the hatred
that only the intensely jealous feel. But the French
turn up their noses, and laugh in their sleeves (they
are too polite to laugh openly) at the growling
British.

But with all the blutY bluntness and dogmatical
bigotry of the English people, and with all their
scorn and jealousy of every thing not English, I
shall favor their success (much as I like the French)
whenever there is a war between them and their
Gallic neighbors — and that there will be a war be-
tween them at no distant day I have no doubt.
Such a war, if declared to-morrow, would be popu-
lar on both sides the Channel. The reasons why I
should favor England are obvious. She is our
mother. Her language is the same, her religion is

48 HAL'S TRAVELS.

the same, and lier government nearly the same.
This is more than we can say of any other country
upon earth ; therefore my cry shall be, " Vioe VAn-
gleierrel"

Many of the streets of this cit}^ are broad and
beautiful. The Boulevards, a succession of wide
streets, are said to be the finest in the world. One
of them — the Boulevard des Italiens — is the chief
thoroughfare for fashion and gaycty. Here tlie
Mrs. Harrises and the Flora McFlimseys most do
congregate ; and here people may be met every
day, the worldwide fame of whom would render
them "lions" anywhere but in Paris. Should one
of them chance to visit the United States, his
advent would be heralded by telegraph, from Maine
to Texas, and the toadies of Kew York would get
up a demonstration.

A stranger in Paris, from a Christian country, is
almost forced to the conclusion that this is a God-
despising, infidel people. The workshops, liquor-
shops, stores, and all other kinds of work and play
go on here on Sunday as on other days. Theatres,
circuses, gambling-hells, and all other places of
amusement and infamy, are open. The public
works by the Government and city are carried on.
In short, Sunday is little regarded by the masses.

But there is some salt in Paris; some people
who worship God in the good old way. Found a
little Methodist chapel, last Sunday, and heard an
old-fashioned Methodist sermon. It seemed like

HAL'S TRAVELS. 49

getting back home ; for both the singing and
preaching were such as I have often heard there.
The congregation was English.

Went to the Opera last night, and witnessed the
performance of Robert le Diable. I was greatly-
pleased with the music, which was the finest I ever
heard. I never before heard a hundred voices in
chorus, accompanied by nearly as many instru-
ments. The Opera, like every thing else in Paris,
is on a grand scale. They bore with big augers
liere, and whatever they undertake to do they do
with a vim.

It is raining here to-day; a thing much less
common in Paris than in London. People, how-
ever, don't seem to mind it. The streets are pretty
well thronged. Crinoline is displayed liberally ;
and ladies' knees are no secret in Paris. Modesty
is a jewel here ; yet it is to be found.

I have hardly 3'et become reconciled to the hours of
serving meals here : coffee at eight or nine o'clock,
breakfast at twelve, and dinner at six. No two arti-
cles of food are ever served on the same plate. The
stuff' the French call bread, is a libel — a slander
upon the genuine article ; almost tough enough to
draw teeth ; innocent of butter, lard, or salt ; open
as honeycomb, but with none of its sweetness, and
is never used until it is stale. It is bought by the
yard or foot, to suit purchasers. This is no joke,
but a stubborn fact. The bakers furnish it in rolls
from a yard to a yard and a half in length, about

50 HAL's TRAVELS.

the size of a man's arm. Go into a restaurant, and
you may see these rolls stacked in one corner of the
room, one end resting upon the floor, and the other
against the wall.

Our party will he divided in a few days. John
and myself are going into Germany, on the Rhine,
to be there during the vintage, or grape harvest.
"We are anxious to learn all we can about the culti-
vation of the grape, and the modus operandi of
making wine. Arthur and Camp Turner (who, by
the way, I had almost forgotten to tell you is of our
party now — and a valuable accession too) will re-
main here and pursue their studies till cool weather,
when they contemplate uniting with us in Italy.

If I had time, I would tell you something about our
visit to Yersailles, and o£ the ff teen miles of paintings
we saw there, representing all the important battles
fought by the French nation for fourteen hundred
years. The palace covers twenty acres of ground,
and the forest belonging to it six thousand acres !

The strong-minded maiden lady — the literary
female mentioned in a previous letter — is here. She
is "doing up" Paris with a rush. She goes out at
all hours of the day, and in all sorts of weather. If
there be any sights in Paris that she don't find,
they'll hardly be worth looking for. Being of the
pantaloons order of ladies, she goes it alone. I
love, honor — yea, reverence — a modest, retiring
woman ; but from a he woman, good Lord deliver
me !

HAL'S TRAVELS. 51

We go from here first to Brussels, where we shall
spend a week or two perhaps.

Yours, Hal.

P. S.— Dr. Ford, Miss Ilohson, and Miss Elliott,
of Nashville, are spending a season here. They
have just returned from a tour through Switzerland
and on the Rhine — one of the most iuterestinsr

o

tours that can be made in Europe.

52 HAL'S TRAVELS.

LETTER VI.

BRUSSELS.

In the beginning of this letter permit me to make
a few suggestions for the benefit of all Americans
who ever expect to travel on this continent. I
advise them, in making their preparations to leave
home, to lay in a good supply of charity, forbear-
ance, brotherly kindness, and as much patience as
they can conveniently carry. They will find abun-
dant use for all these graces at every stage of the
journey — especially the latter. I thought I started
with a pretty good supply, but it is well-nigh ex-
hausted. A few more such attacks as I have suf-
fered since my arrival in the Belgian capital, and I
shall be "done for." Since my arrival here the
beggars have stuck to me like the locusts to the
Egyptians. The "commissionaires," who seek to
guide me over the city, I have found harder to shake
off than a New York hack-driver, or a hanger-on
about a Niagara Falls hotel. Thus far I have kept
them at bay. I have to use my stick to keep off the
dirty-faced beggar children, many of whom carry
disgustingly besmeared babies in their arms to
excite compassion. I don't know which predomi-

HAL'S TRAVELS. 53

nates hero, the beggars or the black-robed, broad-
brimmed Catholic clergy. The number of each is
alarminer. I am told that their number is corre-
spoudingly great or small in all Catholic countries.
"Where you find one, the other is sure to be. A
numerous armed police is alwaj^s necessary, too, in
such countries.

This is the greatest city for bells I have yet found.
A stranger is apt to think, from the incessant ring-
ing of ponderous bells, that the town is burning up.
Even now while I w^rite, between eight and nine
o'clock at night, the din is distracting. If I make
any egregious blunders in this letter, you may lay
the sin to the bells of Brussels, or to the Catholic
Church.

Speaking of churches, this city is somewhat
famous for its ancient and costly edifices. There
are some here many hundreds of years old. I have
visited some of them, and found them quite interest-
ing on account of their age, architecture and paint-
ings. The Church of St. Gudule is the finest
church in the city, and one of the finest in Europe.
It is truly magnificent, and I found it interesting to
wander throngh and around it for hours. The
painting of the windows is not surpassed anywhere.
.The internal adornments are elaborate, and quite
enchanting to all who admire sculpture and paint-
ings. In this church are deposited what are called
the miraculous wafers, said to have been stolen from
the altar at the instigation of a sacrilegious Jew, and
subjected to the insults of himself and brethren in

64 HAL'S TRAVELS.

their synagogues. And this outrageous and diabo-
lical act is said to have been committed on Good
Friday^ which of course added to the heinousness
of the sin. It is said that wheu these Jewish scof-
fers stuck their knives in the wafers, jets of blood
burst forth from the wounds, and that, by a second
miracle, they were struck senseless. The sinful
Jews who had done this were denounced by one
who had been converted to Christianity, and were
seized and put to death by the most cruel treatment,
having their flesh torn ofl'by hot pincers before they
were burned to death at the stake. This is said to
have taken place about the end of the fourteenth
century. This "triumph of the faith," as it is called
here, is celebrated once a year, on the Sunday fol-
lowing the fifteenth of July, by a solemn procession
of the clergy, and an exhibition of the identical
wafers. This is Catholicism in Belgium. You
may know by this to what degree the intelligence
of the people rises. That beggars abound here is
not to be wondered at.

But with all its superstitions and gullibility, I
must say that Brussels is a beautiful city. The mod-
ern part of the city (which my friend Gamble and
myself have succeeded in exploring without the aid
of a commissionaire) is decidedly handsome, and
would not suffer much by a comparison with Paris.
Indeed, Brussels has been called, and not without
reason, Paris on a small scale. The streets are broad
and straight, while the buildings are magnificent,
being uniformly four stories high, and nearly all

HAL'S TRAVELS. 5^

of a snowy whiteness — built of stone or brick, stuc-
coed. The old part of the city is not so handsome.
The buildings are all line and good, and the streets
are kept perfectly clean, but they are very narrow
most of them, and run in no particular direction.
They wind about every way, and I tind it the easiest
thing in the world to get lost among them. It would
be hard for a snake to put itself into a more awk-
ward shape than the streets of lower Brussels.

And, by the way, speaking of these winding
streets reminds me of a little incident I met with
to-day. I was threading my way along one of them,
and met two well-dressed ladies, who seemed to be
wandering about at random. They were looking up
at signs, and showed plainly by their actions that they
were strangers in the city. Being a stranger myself, I
sympathetically halted near them, when they ap-
proached me, and one of them asked, " Sir, do you
speak English ?" Throwing myself back as straight
as a policeman, (for I was glad to hear my native
language spoken in this modern Babel,) I replied,
"Madam, I don't speak au}^ thing else!" "Then,
sir," said she, "will you be so kind as to tell us
where to find a lace manufiictory ?" "Madam,"
said I, "I will not tell you, but shoio you a lace manu-
factory," which I did in short order. I found them
to be a couple of English ladies who had wandered
out from their hotel — very polite, and as thankful
for my assistance as it is in the nature of the Eng-
lish to be.

And now, being at the lace manufiictory, I will

56 HAL'S TRAVELS.

tell you something about it. The lace is all made
by hand, uo machinery whatever being used in the
making of the Brussels lace. Some thread was
shown me, so fine, that I was told a pound of it was
worth iioelve hundred dollars ! and that when manu-
factured into lace the pound would be worth nearly
three times that amount of money ! It was almost
like a spider's web. The women who make the lace
labor very hard, and frequently ruin their eyes while
they are yet young. A lace handkerchief worth ten
dollars requires sixtj'-five days labor ; other laces
in the same proportion. This city, as Americans all
know, is celebrated for its fine laces. Not only the
figures but the groundwork of Brussels laces are
made by hand. The proprietor of the establishment
made desperate efforts to sell me a bill of laces, but
I resisted the temptation to buy.

Went out to Waterloo yesterday, and spent the
day wandering about over the old battle-ground.
Had Sergeant Munday (who was in the battle of
Waterloo) for a guide. He is an Englishman, and
of course points out all the interesting parts of the
field with pride. E"o man who looks at the ground
carefully will wonder at the defeat of the French.
The English had great advantage in position. The
Duke of Wellington had reconnoitred and chosen
the ground with a view to draw !N^apoleon into a
battle there twelve months before the battle was
fought. In the midst of the field a great mound of
earth has been thrown up to mark the spot where
the bones of the thousands of friends and foes lie

HAL'S TRAVELS. 57

heaped together. The mound is two hundred feet
high, and sixteen hundred feet in circumference at
the base. It is surmounted by the Belgic lion, a
huge bronze cast, which, with the pedestal it stands
upon, is forty feet high. This lion is intended as a
memorial of the Prince of Orange, and to mark the
spot where he was wounded.

The church and churchyards of "Waterloo village
are crowded with memoria,l8 of English officers.
They contain about thirty tablets and monuments
to those who fell.

Waterloo is twelve miles from Brussels. "Went
out on a great lumbering stage-coach, crowded in-
side and out with passengers, all English, except Gr.
and mj'self. Had the good fortune to sit facing two
prim English spinsters on an outside seat. Took
them for sisters from the favor. Both had auburn
hair — intensely auburn — in fact, some people would
call it red ; thin lip^;, and tiery, spiteful-looking
eyes. It would have required more than an ordinary
amount of courage to have sought information as to
the age of either of those damsels. Held their
heads very high, and sat straight as Indians. I tried
to draw one of them into conversation, but could n't.
Thought I had succeeded once, when she ventured
a reply to a remark I made about the extremely hard
features of the Belgian peasantry. Said she thought
the " Belgian childring looked rather hinteresting."
Our confab ended here. I amused myself with
drumming Yankee Doodle on the footboard, while

58 HAL's TRAVELS.

sTie elevated her head two or three degrees higher,
and looked defiantly at her male companions.

Before getting off the stage upon reaching the
battle-ground, we were set upon by a horde of relic-
venders, who stuck to us as tenaciously as the Brus-
sels beggars. Every ragged urchin in the neigh-
borhood seemed to have a pocket full of bullets,
buttons, and other relics, said to have been picked
up on the battle-field. Our guide told us that he
was sure that enough such relics had been sold there
to supply a dozen such battles as that of "Waterloo.

The road between Brussels and "Waterloo is
thronged with beggars. It is as amusing as it is
lamentable to see the eagerness with which the chil-
dren from five to twelve years old run after the
coach. The oldest of them will follow it for miles
in a brisk trot, occasionally turning summersaults
to attract the attention of passengers. Others hump
themselves, throw back their heads, and with their
shaijory hair streaming in the wind, and their elbows
pointing back like the knees of a grasshopper, will
run for nearly an hour without seeming to tire,
never taking their eyes ofi:' the passengers. If they
get a copper or two, all right; if not, they don't
seem disappointed.

]S"ow all these things — the manners, customs, fol-
lies, 8uj)erstition8, etc., are interesting to me, for my
object in travelling is to see and learn. I think I
am getting the full value of my time, trouble, and
money. I am learning what books cannot teach.

HAL'S TRAVELS. 59

Tourists generally go in one beaten track, and tlicir
wake is so broad that it is difficult to steer clear of
it, but thus far I have succeeded in doing so. Those
who write books of travel, or for the^ newspaper
press, have a peculiarly easy way of getting up their
letters and volumes. It is an easy thing to write
either letters or books. For instance, one of these
learned and prolific authors will go to a city, and as
soon as his name is registered at his hotel, he has a
" commissionaire" engaged, and is on the wing see-
ing the lions of the place. He runs from church to
church, from gallery to gallery, and to all the places
of interest, and thus, in a few hours, he "does" the
entire city. At night he sits down, and, with the
assistance of his guide-book and "commissionaire,"
he compiles a huge amount of matter which he
imagines will be read witli greediness by the un-
travellod, and consc(iuontly ignorant public. By
elaborate plagiarisms from his guide-book, and sdme
marvellous legends told him by his guide, he is
made to appear exceedingly learned and well-read.
This mode of getting up letters and books of travel
will account for the great similarity observable in
such productions. With a few items gathered from
their guides, such writers not unfrequently are en-
abled to enter into a learned discussion of the poli-
tics of the countries through which they pass. They
find many things to condemn, but rarely any thing
to commend in a government.

Now such is the track followed by most of the
book and letter writers. I have seen many of them

60 HAL'S TRAVELS.

since my arrival in Europe. I met one in Paris
three weeks ago. He is now here, having visited
more than a dozen other cities since leaving Paris.
He thinks he is collecting material for a first-rate
book. Bah !

N'ow as I am travelling for my own edification,
and not to gather materials for a book, I shall make
it a point to stop long enough in every important
city I visit, to learn something about it.

I have now been in Brussels since Saturday last,
(five days,) and the beauty of this city has grown
upon me every day. It is a charming place, and if
the climate were more temperate, I should be surely
tempted to remain here through the winter. It is
the cheapest place to live in I have found in Europe.
Every thing is cheap except beef and mutton.
Hotel bills are very moderate. Dry-goods of almost
every description are astonishingly low. Many
English families live here on account of the cheap-
ness of living and the advantageous educational
facilities, but it is said that their presence is grad-
uallj^ banishing the cheapness they seek.

I must acknowledge my indebtedness to Gen. E.
Y. Fair, our Minister to Belgium, for his many
kindnesses; and also to the charming and highly
accomplished Mrs. Fair, for her amiable hospitality.
Alabama may well be proud of the honor of being
so well represented at the court of Brussels.

Farewell.

Hal.

n

HAL'S TRAVELS. 61

LETTER VII.

BRUSSELS TO OSNABRUCK.

My last letter to yoii was written from the fair
city of Brussels, which place we left on the 10th
inst, and I will now proceed to give you a rambling
account of what I have picked up along the way
since that time.

Our first stopping-place was Cologne, a city re-
nowned both in song and story for many things —
its antiquity, its churches, its galleries of paintings,
its antique curiosities, its massive walls, its bridge
of boats, its castles and towers, its quaint old build-
-ings, its Eau de Cologne, and, more than all, for its
great Cathedral. Cologne is a city in which every
one must be interested, especially the antiquarian
and the architect ; whilst those who are willing to
be humbugged (and most people like it) will find
many things to rejoice their hearts, for in barefaced
humbugger}' and brazen impudence, Cologne bears
off" the palm, as will be seen before the conclusion
of this letter.

The first great object of attraction in Cologne is
the Cathe4ral, a great building, which is visited, of
course, by every stranger. It is a massive Gothic

62 HAL's TRAVELS.

Structure, commenced liuudreds of years ago, and
which is yet unfinished ; and so immense is the
work, that the present generation will hardly see it
completed, although the work is being vigorously
prosecuted. It will be the finest, but not the largest
church in the world. It is 511 feet long, 231 feet
wide, and will be 511 feet high. To finish it, will
cost $5,000,000. The choir is 160 feet high. In-
ternally, the church seems to be almost completed,
and from its size, height, and disposition of pillars,
arches, chapels, and beautifully colored windows,
resembles a splendid vision. I attended the cele-
bration of high mass here on Sunday last.

This Cathedral, like all other Catholic churches
in Europe, possesses many wonderful curiosities,
some of which will challenge the credulity of the
most credulous. For instance, we are shown the
shrijie of the Three Kings of Cologne, or Magi, who
came from the East with presents for the infant
Saviour. The bones of these wise men are pre-
served in a . massive silver case. Their names,
Gaspar, Melchoir, and Balthazer, are inscribed
upon their skulls in rubies. The bedel who ex-
hibits these bones asserts roundly that they are
truly and positively the bones of the Magi, and that
all others who pretend to exhibit them are impos-
tors. There is also exhibited here a bone of St.
Matthew ! But the " trump card' ' of the Cologneans
is the church of St. Ursula, and the curiosities it
contains. Here the wonderful things of the city
are exhibited, and no traveller is permitted to pass

II A L ' S T R A V E L S . 63

through Cologne without being importuned to visit
it. Here he is shown the bones of St. Ursula, and
the skulls of the eleven thousand virgins who were
her companions. On entering the church, these
hideous relics meet the eye, beneath, above, and
around ; the}^ are built into the walls, in the ceiling,
and displayed in glass cases in various parts. The
saint herself reposes in a coffin behind the great
altar, while the skulls of a select few of her asso-
ciates are permitted to remain near her. We are
told, with prodigious seriousness, that this St. Ursula
was the daughter of an English king, who, with
eleven thousand virgin followers, made a pilgrimage
to Rome. On their return, the whole party sutfered
martyrdom at Cologne, at the hands of the barba-
rian Iluns, because the}^ refused to break their vows
of chastity ! The skulls of the whole 11,000 have
been preserved. Some of them are pierced with
bullet holes, which causes some skeptical infidels to
insinuate that they have been picked up on various
battle-lields. The true believers, however, scout
such an idea. In this church is also one of the ves-
sels in which the water was turned into wine at the
marriage in Cana of Galilee. Now, all these things,
including a piece of the true cross, and one of the
identical thorns with which our Saviour was crowned,
are exhibited with imperturbable gravity, (not to say
impudence,) and the spectator besought to believe
that they are truly what they are represented to be.
To see them costs money, of course, but what seeker
after knowledge would refuse to pay a few francs to

64 HAL'S TRAVELS.

see so many wonderful relics ! The student of hu-
man nature is richly repaid for his time and money,
in witnessing the coolness with which these people
assert the genuineness of their relics ; while the
credulous antiquarian views them with an astonish-
ment only equalled by his delight. The Roman
Catholics are great judges of human nature. They
know that the people love to be humbugged, and
knowing this, they delight in humbugging them.
They find it a paying business. They have learned
that the wise man is as susceptible as the fool, and
will pay his money for being humbugged with equal
liberality. Barnum, as a Bishop, would be a jewel
to the Catholic Church.

But aside from the churches of Cologne and their
curiosities, I viewed the city with much interest.
I walked about the narrow streets, looked at the
moss-covered walls and sharp antique gables, and
wondered how many centuries the storms had beat
upon them — strolled upon the old Roman walls and
gazed at the old towers — sauntered upon the quay
and the bridge of boats, and looked with delight up
and down the classic Rhine, admiring the curiously
shaped little steamers as they scudded by. And
then the people look so odd ! The great wooden
shoes, the fiarinff caps, and the short skirts of the
peasant women, were objects of interest. The
clumsy wagons and carriages, the large horses and
small donke3^s, to say nothing of the dogs in har-
ness, all came in for a share of admiration.

From what I saw while there, I would say that

iial'stravels. 65

the ladies of Cologne were fond of being seen.
Large numbers were on the streets at all times.
Now in some portions of our country, ladies' feet
are little more than traditionary leg-ends, but not so
with the Prussian ladies. Their feet are palpable
facts, not sought to be concealed, but displayed with
much boldness. Nor are they wanting in size. A
visitor at Cologne will be struck with these facts.

I would write a paragraph about the filthiness of
the streets and alleys of Cologne, if I could do so
without following in the footsteps of other WTiters ;
but as everybody who writes at all about this city
gives them a benefit, I shall pass them by. Much
ink has been shed and many hard things said about
these streets, and some have been so uncharitable
as to even abuse them in poetrj', which is terrible,
you know. Now I remember to have read once a
verse or two, by some heartless individual, running
somewhat thus :

"In Col'n, that town of monks and bones,
And pavements fanged with murderous stones,
And hags and rags and hideous wenches,
I counted two-and-sevcnty stenches,
All well-defined and genuine stinks!

The river Rhine, it is well known,
Doth wash the city of Cologne ;
But tell me, 0 yc powers divine !
What e'er can wash that river Rhine ?"

It was confidently predicted by the people of
Cologne, that the writer of the above wicked lines
would come to no good end, which proved true ; for

66 hal'stravels.

not many years after, he was suffocated by tlie
stench, in one of the alleys of that city. Verdict of
the jury of inquest, "Served him right."

Eau de Cologne, so renowned all over the world,
is pleaded as an offset to the two-and-seventy
stenches observable in the city. It is an article of
considerable commerce. There are upwards of sixty
manufacturers of the article, and, strange to say,
more than half of them bear the name of Farina, all
claiming to be descendants of the original inventor
of the perfume, whose name was Farina. He lived
in 1670. Jean Maria Farina is said to be the right-
ful heir. Don't know how many of them bear the
name of Jean Maria.

But let us leave the perfumed city of Cologne, and
sa}' a word about Osnabriick — a city of smaller size,
less note, and less odoriferous, but one which has a
name and a place in history, and is withal no mean
city. Osnabriick contains about 15,000 inhabitants,
and is one of the oldest cities I have seen. It is, I
believe, the capital of a province of the kingdom of
Hanover — is a walled city, situated very prettily in
a level plain, surrounded on nearly all sides by high-
lands, which present a picturesque appearance.
Friend G. and myself have been here several days,
enjo3ang ourselves extensively, having been kindly
and hospitably entertained in the families of Mr. L.
and Mrs. H. We shall remember Osnabriick and
some of its good citizens for many days. Mr. L.
and young Mr. H. have kindly showed us all the
notable buildings, and other things of interest, in-

hal'stravbls. 67

eluding the cliurclies, City Hall, and some very fine
Coffee Houses and Gardens in the suburbs. The
Cathedral and St. Maria's (Lutheran) are the finest
churches in the city. The City Ilall is a castellated
building, in which the negotiations for the peace of
Westphalia were conducted. It contains a curious
collection of very old plate. In the open space op-
posite this Hall stands a bronze statue of Justus
Moser. An evening or two ago, in company with
the intelligent Mrs. H. and her accomplished
daughters, we drove out to the ancient village of
Iburg, and viewed the venerable castle and palace
from which the village takes its name. The scenery
about Iburg cannot be sketched by any thing short
of a master's pencil ; it would therefore be bad taste
in me to attempt it. I would, however, say to all
travellers who pass through Hanover, to visit Iburg,
and view the surrounding panorama from the
heights of the Groat Timpen. I would also recom-
mend a visit to Schwitzenhotf, a beautiful place of
general resort and recreation for all the good people
of Osnabriick. Also "Little Switzerland."

Taking the people of Osnabriick for a sample, I
must say that I am much pleased with the Germans.
I find them, so far as my acquaintance extends, in-
telligent, educated, and refined, and also very hospi-
table. Their great number of places of public resort
and amusement, shows them to be a very lively, fun-
loving people ; philosophers who believe in enjoying
time as it passes. This is all right. I sliould like
them more, however, if it were not for their national

68 HAL'S TRAVELS.

and individual disregard of the Sabbath. They do
not seem to have learned all the Commandments.

We shall start to-morrow for Coblenz on the
Rhine, and shall probably make a little trip from
there up the Moselle river, on which is said to be
some of the finest scenery in Europe, and where the
grape is grown to great perfection. Moselle wines
are celebrated and quite popular. From there we
will wander on up the Rhine at leisure. We wish
to see the country as it is, and shall therefore take
our time. It is the object of travellers generally to
travel over as much territory as they can in as short
a space as possible. But we are content to see less
and learn more. Adieu.

Hal.

n A L'S TRAVELS. Ct)

LETTER VIII.

ON THE RHINE.

When Beavers was a candidate for Congress, in
1857, he opened the canvass with a history of the
Democratic party, which he continued from day to
day, at his different appointments, until he finished
it, beginning each day at the place he left ofl:' the daj'
before ; thus giving to each audience its portion, not,
however, in due season. I shall adopt Beaver's plan in
this letter, and begin where I left off in my last. That
was dated Osnabriick, and it is but proper that you
should know my wanderings since leaving that city.
"Well, I left there about a week ago, and have since
that time been lingering among and drinking in
the beauties of the Rhine, gliding upon its peaceful
bosom, climbing the lofty peaks along its margin,
exploring the feudal castles and ruined towers
which crown their craggy heights ; in short, I have
been bathing and basking amid those classic scenes
that have been intermingled with my day-dreams
from early boyhood. The first grand scenery of
the Rhine begins with the " Seven Mountains," not
far above the city of Bonn. At Cologne we bought
.tickets and embarked on a steamer for Coblenz ;

70 IIAL'S TRAVELS.

but finding that it would be downright stupidity to
rush by so much beautiful scenery at steamboat
speed, we debarked at Konigswinter, a town just
opposite the tallest of the " Seven Mountains," and
have since that time been wandering from place to
place on foot, which is the only way the Rhine and
its neighborhood can be properly seen. He who
travels up or down this glorious river by steamer,
never stopping, and then boasts of having seen its
beauties, is a deceived individual.

At Eonigswinter we were met by a swarm of
commissioners or guides, each of whom professed
to know every inch of ground and every stone
upon the Seven Mountains. We succeeded, after a
struggle, in fighting our way through them just in
time to be set upon by a horde of muleteers, who
wanted us to ride up the mountain upon diminu-
tive donkeys, no larger than billygoats. We
resisted the temptation to ride, notwithstanding
the red saddles, and, with our staves in our hands,
started up on foot. It looked like a perilous under-
taking to reach the pinnacle of the Drachenfels,
(Dragon Rock,) on the top of which stands, or
rather seems to hang, a noble old ruin. We reached
it, however, and the view amply repaid the toil.
This rock and ruin has been rendered more interest-
ing by the verses of Byron :

" The castled crag of Drachenfels

Frowns o'er the wide and winding Rhine ;
Whose breast of waters broadly swells
Between the banks which bear the vine ;

hal's travels. 71

And hills all rich with blossomed trees,
And fields which promise corn and wine ;

And scattered cities crowning these,

Whose far white walls along them shine,

Have strewed a scene which I should see

With double joy, wcrt thou with me.

"And peasant girls, with deep blue eyes,

And hands which offer early flowers,
Walk smiling o'er this Paradise.

Above, the frequent feudal towers
Through green leaves lift their walls of gray;

And many a rock which steeply towers,
And noble arch, in proud decay,

Look o'er this vale of vintage bowers.
But one thing want these banks of Rhine —
Thy gentle hand to clasp in mine !

" The river nobly foams and flows ;

The charms of this enchanted ground,
And all its thousand turns, disclose

Some fresher beauty varying round.
The haughtiest breast its wish might bound

Through life to dwell delighted here:
Nor could on earth a spot be found

To nature and to me so dear.
Could thy dear eyes, in following mine.
Still sweeten more these banks of Rhine."

^ From the heights of Dracheufcls I counted twelve
cities and towns in plain view, besides a number of
ruined castles on other points along the river.

We descended about sundown, and slept at our
inn at Konigswinter. In the morning we shouldered
our carpet-bags, crossed the river," and took our
way along the high road towards the village of
Rolandseck, above which, on the heights, stands

72 HAL'S TRAVELS.

the ruin of the ancient baronial fortress and tower
of Eolaudseck. There is a little romantic story
connected with this ruin. It receives its name from
a tradition that the famous Roland, nephew of
Charlemagne, chose this spot because it commanded
a view of the convent of Nonnenworth, (which con-
vent still stands on an island in the river, just oppo-
site,) within whose walls his betrothed bride had
taken the vail, upon hearing a false report of his
having fallen in battle. He lived here a lonely
hermit for many years, which has furnished the
subject of one of Schiller's most beautiful ballads,
"The Knight of Toggenburg." The scene, how-
ever, has been transferred b}'' Schiller from the
Khine to Switzerland. So says Murray.

After climbing to this height, and viewing the
grand scenery from many points, we again de-
scended, and took the highway for the town of
Ramagen, in the course of which we met with an
adventure not to be forgotten. (I had forgotten to
mention that there are now three in our party,
instead of but two, young Mr. HoUenberg having
accompanied us from Osuabrlick. He speaks both
German and English, and is quite an agreeable
travelling companion.) The road runs immediately
through vineyards nearly the whole way. The
vines bend beneath the weight of a heavy crop,
and, as there are no fences in this country, the
luscious clusters hang temptingly over the road.
We hailed this sight with a gladness similar to that
of the spies who entered the promised land. See-

HAL'S TRAVELS. 78

ing SO many hundreds of acres of the blusliing
fruit, and deeming it nothing amiss, we, with that
innocence peculiar to ignorance, began to pluck
and eat. A long, gangling, blue-shirted fellow,
standing in the road some hundred 3'ards ahead of
us, raised his long bony arm ominously, and uttered
a horrible sentence, in which our friend H. detected
the word "police." He then called some half
dozen laborers, near by, and with them started for
the village of Oberwinter, (I shall always remember
the name,) lying just ahead of us. We followed
on very slowly, feeling assured that something was
going to happen. When we entered the village we
saw heads projected from every window, and know-
ing winks and nods were passed from neighbor to
neiijhbor as we threaded the narrow streets. Youns:
women laughed at us, and the old women looked at
us with a sort of pitying expression, while the
crowd of boys trudging at our heels momentarily
swelled and grew larger. It was evident that every-
body in Oberwinter knew that we were in a scrape.
Even the dogs barked at us. At the far end of the
village we saw a crowd collected, in the midst of
which stood the blue-shirted individual, with his
arms going like winding-blades. Ilis gestures in-
dicated that we were the subject of his discourse.
We trudged on, and, upon reaching the crowd,
were surrounded by the rabble, and informed that
we must go before the burgomaster of the town, to
answer to the charge of stealing grapes. The
tongue of the informant was eroinc: like a bell-

74 hal'stravels.

clapper, and the witnesses who had accompanied
him were scarcely less noisy. The burgomaster
was present, and, in a very loud tone, gave us to
understand that we had committed a very grave
ofteuce ; that he was a man of great authority, and
that we should feel the weight of his power. We
followed him into his filthy office — a small room
redolent of lager-beer and tobacco smoke. lie
opened a ponderous book, and proceeded to read
the law, which was all "Dutch" to us. Then, with
his rusty spectacles thrown back, he proceeded to
deliver a loud harangue, while his arms swayed to
and fro like the sails of a wii^d-mill. Told us we
must go to prison ; to which we dissented most
emphatically ; and my friend John was about be-
ginning to give the old skunk a lesson in civility
with the butt end of his cane, and I felt inclined to
give the leading w^itness a similar lesson, when
friend liollenberg quieted the clamor by producing
his purse, and asking how much money it would
take to get us ofl:*. The eyes of the belligerent
magistrate brightened, and smiles took the place
of frowns. But for all his smiles, John thought a
cudgelling due him, which he would have pro-
ceeded to administer, had I not persuaded him that
discretion was the better part of valor ; which to
me was evident, when I looked at the crowd
of big, greasy, bloused Prussians standing round.
The burgomaster told us if we would pay a good
round sum of money, (which amount would go for
the benefit of the poor,) we should be released. I

hal's travels. 75

supposed we should have to pay ten or fifteen
dollars apiece, and was prepared to disburse to that
extent ; but Ilollenbcrg knew his countrymen better
than I did, and oflcrcd him half a thaler, (about
thirty-seven and a half cents;) which he disdain-
fully refused. He then offered him a thaler, and
told him we would give no more. lie took it, and
we shook the dust from our feet, and departed. As
we left the office, a friend said to us, (I know he
was a friend, from a remark he made,) " Go, gen-
tlemen, and sin no more."' This was the interpre-
tation given to the remark by II. I have made up
my mind as to one thing : if ever I catch that bur-
gomaster, or either of the half dozen bloused wit-
nesses, in the streets of Huntsville, I'll — I'll — but
there's no use sa^^ing what I'll do, for it is danger-
ous to make threats ; but I'll make them sorry they
ever saw a bunch of grapes.

Leaving Oberwinter, we soon reached the town of
Ramagen, an old town in which are traces of Ro-
man architecture, dating back to the year 375. Re-
mained at Ramagcn all night, and the next day
made an excursion up the winding valley of Ayr,
down which the crystal waters of the little river Ayr
flow beautifully. The scenery up this valley is pic-
turesque beyond description. "We ascended about
fourteen miles to the towns of Ahrweiler and Alte-
nah. Near the latter place is a very high peak of
the mountain, on the top of which stands a majestic
old ruin, the history of which I could not learn, ex-
cept that it was built by a robber chief many hun-

76 HAL'ST RAVELS.

dred years ago. While standing upon the tallest
pinnacle, a gust of wind took my hat oft', and I have
not seen it since. Not wishing to return to Eama-
gen bareheaded, I took a large comforter which re-
sembled two or three yards of fancy carpeting, and
wound it around my head, a la Turk. I was the
admiration of the rustics all along the road to Rama-
gen, and in the village of Ahrweiler nearly the whole
town gathered to see me, and a crowd of little boys
followed me for some distance beyond the wall.
Some said " Turko," and others said "Zouave." I
enjoyed the fun very much.

After returning from the Ayr (or Ahr) valley,
which, by the way, is world-renowned for its vine-
yards, we took boat and proceeded up to Brohl,
(one or two hours' run,) from which point we walked
to Laacher Sea, where we now are. This is a very
singular lake, nearly circular in form, supposed to
occupy the. crater of an extinct volcano, is about
two miles long, and one and a half miles wide, and
very deep. The appearance of a deep blue lake
hemmed in on all sides hy a ridge of hills completely
covered with luxuriant wood down to the water's
edge is exceedingly beautifal, as well as singular.
At one end of this lake, embowered in a forest of
large trees, rises a grand old Abbey, with five im-
mense towers, built about seven hundred years ago.
The Abbey, with the many buildings attached to it,
is enclosed with a massive stone wall. This is not
used for church purposes now, but is private pro-
perty ; and many of the halls once occupied by nuns

II AL'S TRAVELS. 77

and monks are now used for granaries and cow-
stalls. One of the buildings is an inn, in which I
now write.

I must now go to bed, for John and Benno have
been snoring this hour. Yours, etc.,

Hal.

P. S. — We have passed through many vineyards
since our interview with the burgomaster of Ober-
winter, but thinking the grapes " sour," we troubled
them not.

78 hal's travels.

LETTEE IX.

RHINE TO GENEVA,

While "taking mine ease at mine inn," and
smoking my fair long pipe, I will scribble yon a few
items picked up along the way since my last letter.

By glancing at the map, yon will see that I am
many hundreds of miles away from the place from
which I last addressed you. I was then lolling upon
the fair shores of the pretty little Laachar Sea, away
up in Prussia. Since then I have visited many
places. Have wandered upon the "banks of the
blue Moselle;" clambered among the ruins of the
old "Mouse Castle;" stood upon the heights of the
great Neiderwald ; have tarried at " Bingcn on the
Ehine;" have roved through the celebrated vine-
yards of Johannisberg ; groped through the world-
renowned wine-cellars of Eudesheim ; lingered in
the groves and around the hot springs-of Ems and
Weisbaden ; strolled through the streets and gardens
of the beautiful city of Frankfort-on-the-Main ;
have struggled up the high mountains and gazed
upon the ruined castles of Heidelberg ; have looked
and wondered at the great tower of the Strasburg
Cathedral ; have traversed the romantic hills and
valleys of Switzerland; stood upon "the margin of

ual'stravels. 79

fair Zurich's waters;" walked beneath the dark
shadows of the Jura Mountains, and gazed with awe
at the snow-crowned, cloud-capped peaks of the
terrible Alps ; have sailed upon the limpid waters
of the lakes of Bienne, Neufchatel, and Geneva ;
have been charmed with the beauties of the "ar-
rowy Rhone," and now iind myself quietly nestled
down in the quiet city of Geneva, long noted for
its beauty, the taste of its people, and as the place
where they make watches. Geneva is one of the
most beautiful cities I have seen, situated at the
west end of the lake of the same name — a noble
sheet of water which no European traveller fails to
see, and which has been rendered classic by the his-
torian, the romance writer, and the poet. It seems
that the beauties of this lake well-nigh niade a vir-
tuous man of Lord Byron, judging by the following
lines penned by that illustrious poet :

"Clear, placid Lenian ! thy contrasted lake,
With the wild world I dwelt in, is a thing
Which warns me, with its stillness, to forsake
Earth's troubled waters for a purer spring.
This quiet sail is as a noiseless wing
To waft me from distraction ; once I loved
Torn ocean's roar, but thy soft murmuring
Sounds sweet, as if a sister's voice i-eproved,
That I with stern delights should e'er have been so moved."

Thus was the great poet moved to write upon
viewing this lake when calm and peaceful. Later
he was nigh being lost in a storm, while making an
excursion on the lake, when he wrote as follows:

80 HAL'S TRAVELS.

" The sky is changed ! and such a change ! 0 night,
And storm, and darkness, ye ai'e wondrous strong.
Yet lovely in your strength as is the light
Of a dark eye in •woman ! Far along.
From peak to peak, the rattling crags among.
Leaps the live thunder ! Not from one lone cloud,
But every mountain now hath found a tongue,
^ And Jura answers through her misty shroud.
Back to the joyous Alps who call to her aloud!

How the lit lake shines, a phosphoric sea,

And the big rain comes dancing to the earth !

And now again 'tis black — and now the glee

Of the loud hills shakes with its mountain-mirth,

As if they did rejoice o'er a young earthquake's birth."

I have been now two days in Geneva, charmed
and delighted with the rugged scenery which pre-
sents itself on every hand. The black, steep Jura
mountains stretch themselves all along the northern
f,hore of the lake. To the south rise the noble Alps,
and away in the distance is seen the gigantic Mont
Elauc, with its snow and glaciers glistening in the
sun. I shall not be content until I have a nearer
view of this giant of mountains.

If I had not begun this with a determination to
write a very short letter, I would tell you a great
deal about what I have seen within the last week or
two, but as I don't wish to bore you or your readers
very deep, I will refrain ; for it would be as a thrice-
told tale, as every nincompoop who travels over the
route, if he can write at all, must needs attempt a
description. I refer you to various books of travel,
where you will find all that I could say.

HAL'S TRAVELS. 81

I have been much interested in the vintage, and
have learned what I conkl about the process of cul-
tivating the grape and making wine. It is interest-
ing to see the Swiss peasantry' gathering the grapes.
They make a frolic of it, and sing with great glee
as they perform their labor. They are hard-looking
creatures, both male and female, the latter coarse to
an astonishing degree. It is romantic to talk and
write about the hardy and frugal Swiss peasantry,
and to see them at a distance is very well ; but wdieu
you come in contact with them, the poetry vanishes.
I have not yet seen a handsome or even passable
face among the female peasants — though it is said
they are virtuous and happy. I doubt not there
is rustic virtue among them — a vast deal of it — l)ut
they are certainly a most filthy people. They labor
in the fields much harder than the negroes of the
South, and every woman among them can carry a
load upon her head that would make an ordinary
mule stagger. They live like hogs — men, women,
children, horses, cow's and goats, all under the same
roof

But I must close this brief scroll. John, who has
just come in, (he has been out to buy us some to-
bacco,) says it is time to go to bed. We start for
Italy to-morrow. Shall cross the Alps by way of
the Simplon Pass. Shall have plenty of company.
The flat-bosomed lady, w^ho is gathering notes for a
book, will probably be in the party — also the bandy-
legged gentleman who w^ears gold spectacles, of
wdiom I intended to tell you, but sha'n't do it now.

82 HAL'S TRAVELS.

Friend Robinson has declined going to Italy, pre-
ferring to return home, and will probably go by the
steamer that carries this letter, or soon after. He
says he is tired of Europe. I regret his determina-
tion much, for he is a noble travelling companion,
and I had hoped to spend the winter with him be-
neath the "fair Italian skies." Had also hoped to
have friend Turner with us, (who is as clever as
boys ever get to be,) but fear we shall not. Don't
know what his plans are. He is in Paris.

Farewell. Hal.

UAL'S TRAVELS. 83

LETTER X.

GENEVA TO MILAN.

I AM at length in Italy — fair, bright, beautiful,
sunny Italy ! — the laud of poctrj^ and popery — of
souo; and sausao:es — music and maccaroni — of
orange-groves and organ-grinders — of roses and
ro2:ues — of soldiers and sardines — of minstrels and
monkeys — of fat, round-bellied priests, and lean,
gaunt, starving beggars — in short, the land Avhere
pleasure and misery jostle each other in the streets,
and often go hand in hand. Such is Ital^^, and
such are the strange blending of things here. The
Italian towns are all strangely marked ; houses with
colonnades, streets with awnings, shops teeming
with sausages, maccaroni and garlic ; lazy-looking,
loitering lazzaroni, in red nightcaps, and bare maho-
gany-colored legs, intermixed with mules, burly
priests, organ-grinders, and females veiled with the
black mantilla : these things fill up the picture of
an Italian town, poets and romance-writers to the
contrary notwithstanding.

But Milan is a tine city, and, to say nothing of its
people and their habits, is a city that any country
might be proud of. I have been on the pad all day,

84 HAL'S TRAVELS.

seeing its beauties and lions. The first place of in-
terest, and which has been termed, not inappropri-
ately, perhaps, the eighth wonder of the world, ia
the great Cathedral, the finest building, no doubt,
in the world, but not so large as St. Peter's at Rome
or St. Paul's, London. It is built of pure white
marble, is four hundred and ninety-one feet long,
three hundred and thirty-six feet high. There are
ten thousand spires and pinnacles on this church, and
seven thousand of them are surmounted with statues,
and the other three thousand will be when the work
is finished, which will require at least a century. It
was commenced four hundred and seventy-three
years ago. The interior is adorned with many fine
paintings. The massive windows are of the finest
stained glass, representing thousands of Scripture
scenes. The scene from the top of the Milan Ca-
thedral can certainly not be surpassed in the world.
The spires of perhaps a hundred towns and cities
may be seen, while in the far-off* distance may be
seen the snowy chain of the Alps. Mount Eosa
looms up more grandly than any other peak,
although Mont Blanc is plainly seen : the former is
one hundred and twenty-five miles away, and the
latter two hundred and twenty.

Among the other things of interest I have visited
in Milan, I ma};' mention the Amphitheatre, (now
filled with French artillery,) which is capable of
seating thirty-seven thousand people ! Here all the
fetes of a national character are performed. Also
went to see the great original painting of the "Last

II A L '-S T R A V E L S . 85

Snpper," by Leonardo Da Vinci. It is a fresco, in
what was formerly the Convent of Le Grazie, but is
now used as a barracks for soldiers. The world is
flooded with copies of this celebrated painting,
which is a proof of its excellence.

I have visited many other places of interest in the
cit}', but it would be a bore to you for me to dwell
on them. In fact, I have no disposition to dwell on
them now, for I am becoming bored seriously with
Milan, not less than six street organs having been
furiously grinding near by ever since I commenced
this letter. I am fond of music, but too much of a
good thing is not pleasant.

But perhaps I ought to tell you something about
our trip from Geneva to this city. I will do it for
the want of something else to write about, although,
like nine out of every ten who attempt to do so, I
have no "knack" of describing scenerj'.

To begin : We left Geneva on the morning of the
ninth, just as the god of day rolled proudly and
sublimely up above the snowy mountains of the
cast. The sky was clear, serene and lovely. ]^ot a
breath of wind disturbed the placid bosom of the
silvery lake which reflected the deep shadows of the
black Jura on one side, and the towering Alps on
tlie other. Our feathery craft glided swiftly and
gracefully over the still waters like a thing of life,
and nothing was there to jar upon the senses save a
slight hissing of steam and the flutter of the paddle-
wheels, and even that seemed musical. The snowy
villages along the shore were as lilies nestling upon

86 HAL'S TRAVELS.

the bosom of the waters, while far away iu the dis-
tance could be seen the beautiful city of Vevay, with
its tall spires reflected beautifully in the deep blue
lake. Our captain stood leaning lazily upon the
quarter -rail, smoking his pipe, while passengers
stood in mute wonder at the glorious scenery loom-
ing up on every hand. Flocks of happy waterfowl
were skimming about in various directions, and
anon the nimble trout could be seen to spring high
out of the water to seize the unsuspecting butterfly
as it dallied above the ripple. All on board that
little steamer seemed wrapped in meditation. Your
correspondent was in a peculiar mood — bordering
on poetry — and had actually got two lines fully com-
posed, when his meditations were cruelly broken in
upon by the literary young lady with the scanty
breastworks, (mentioned in former letters,) who
came up and said, "Why, Mr. Hal, what is the
matter with you ? You are as solemn as if you were
going to a funeral. Do rouse yourself and come
forward, and see what a thumpin' big fish a sailor
has caught. Come, it's in a tub of water in the
forward part of the boat." The poetry fled, and up
to this time I have not been able to whistle it back.
I went and saw the fish, of course.

But to go on with the story. We left the steamer
at a town called Bouveret, (pronounced Bouver«?/,
for you know the French take a sort of malicious
pleasure in pronouncing things diflferently from the
way they spell them,) at the east end of the lake,
took the cars and travelled through the mountain-

hal's travels. 87

gorges for about twenty miles, where the railway
ceases. Here we took diligence, and continued the
journey up the valley of the river Rhone, until
about two o'clock at night, halting at the town of
Breig, just where the ascent of the Alps begins.
All along the route from Geneva to Breig we noticed
that the people were idle, and dressed up in their
Sunday clothes. We concluded that the ninth of
October must be a general Swiss holiday.

At Breig we stopped on the 10th, for we have
made it a rule, ever since leaving home, to rest on
the Sabbath. "Were greatly shocked to see the
people of Breig attending to all the ordinary affairs
of life, seeming to care no more for the Sabbath
than if they had never known such a day. The
smith's hammer, the mason's trowel, and the car-
penter's saw were heard, while the mowers in the
neighborhood were busy gathering in their scanty
crops of haj. The stores and shops were all open,
and the peasant women were lugging their great
burdens about as usual. The churches were there,
but no glad bell was heard calling the people to
worship. John and I read our Bibles, and deeply
commiserated the poor ignorant people, believing
that they were ignorant of the holiness of the day.
Late in the afternoon John concluded to look over
his diary, in doing which he discovered to his amaze-
ment that we were keeping 3fond(iy, and had actually
travelled all day Sunday ! We could then account
for the Swiss holida3^

Tuesday morning we took the diligence, and

88 HAL'S TRAVELS.

started up the mountain, tlie Simplon Pass. This
is the best mountain road ever built. It is a tri-
umph of engineering skill never accomplished before
nor since. The world is indebted to ITapoleon
Bonaparte for it, who, remembering the great diffi-
culty he found in crossing the Alps, determined to
make a highway that cannon could be carried over
without difficulty. It is a stupendous work, the
greatness of which cannot be appreciated without
being seen. It winds up the mountain in such a
tortuous and zigzag way, that even where it is
steepest, it does not rise more than one foot in thir-
teen. The cost of this road averaged about $25,000
per mile. It took six years to build it, and more
than thirty thousand men were employed on it at
one time. Houses of refuge — seven in number —
are erected at convenient distances, to protect tra-
vellers from avalanches, which occur frequently in
early summer. For more than two-thirds of the
way up, the sides of the mountain are covered with
vegetation, and wherever a dozen yards of arable
land can be found, there is the hut of the hardy
mountaineer. In some places the cabins seem to
cling to the sides of the mountain as tenaciously as
a bat clings to the wall of a cavern. After gaining
two-thirds or more of the ascent, nothing but a pic-
ture of desolation surrounds the traveller. The pine
has no longer the scanty pittance of soil which it
requires for nourishment, the hardy but beautiful
Alpine flower ceases to embellish the sterile soli-
tude. The eye wanders over snow and glacier,

hal'stravels. 89

fractured rock and roaring cataract, relieved only by
that stupendous monument of Imman labor, the
road itself, winding along the edges of precipices,
penetrating the solid granite, striding over the furi-
ous torrents, burrowing through dark and dripping
grottoes, beneath accumulated masses of ice and
snow.

Upon reaching the highest summit or culminat-
ing point of the Pass, I made a vigorous effort to
work myself up into a poetical mood. Thought of
all the romance I had read about crossing the
"proud Alps." Jumped up on a large rock, waved
my hat above my head, gazed at the country below
and the eternal glaciers above ; threw my shawl
about me, and imagined that it looked very much
like Julius Caesar's mantle ; and while it waved in
the breeze, and my hair streamed in the wind, I
looked away down the acclivity and saw far down
in the distance a great lumbering diligence with its
long team crawling around a point of the mountain.
I thought it looked like a huge ant winding round
a potato-hill. The idea was so ridiculous that I in-
voluntarily burst into a laugh, which banished ro-
mance. Just then I was enveloped in a passing
cloud, and a few spits of snow and sleet together,
with the piercing cold wind, Avarned me that I was
exposing myself, when I muffled up, and crawled
into the diligence.

Wo descended the mountain in a sweeping trot,
and slept that night in Domo d'Ossolo, Italy. The
next day went by diligence to Palauza on Lake

90 HAL'S TRAVELS.

Maggiore, where we took steamer to Arona, and
finished the trip to Milan by raih'oad. Would tell
you something about the beauties of Lake Maggiore,
but these miserable hand-organs have put my head
to aching, so I'll quit and go to bed. Good-night.

Hal.

P. S. — We go to Venice to-morrow. If you find'
this letter bunglingly got up, just lay it to the organ-
grinders, for they have kept up a most horrible
squeaking.

nAL'S TRAVELS. 91

LETTER XI

VENICE.

At last in Venice ! — "Beautiful Venice, the bride
of the sea" — a city fair to look upon, and as strange
as it is fair. Here the houses are palaces, the streets
are canals, and the omnibusses, hacks, and pleasure
carriages are gondolas. Dwelling in "marble halls"
is not a "dream" here, but a reality. Tlie Hotel
Vittoria, where we stop, was in olden times a marble
palace of great splendor; but now, like many other
palaces in Venice, it looks seedy. Indeed, the
whole city wears what may be termed a shabby-
genteel appearance, though it bears evidences of
having once been one of the richest and most mag-
nificent cities of the world. It is beautiful yet, but
cities, like belles, must fade before time.

Every thing is so strange, so quiet here. The
loudest noise lieard is man's voice ; no lumbering
drays or wagons in the streets — no clattering car-
riages, nor tramp of horse. There be grown-up
men and women too, perhaps, who never saw a
horse or wheeled carriage of any description ! for
such things are not here. Gondolas take their
place.

I love dearly to skim about in the graceful gon-

92 hal'stravels.

dola. There is poetry about it, especially on a
moonlight night. Though I suspect the race of
gondoliers is degenerating. When Lord Bj'ron
lived here they used to sing as they plied the oar,
and we read that he caught the inspiration, and
upon one occasion wrote as follows :

"'Tis sweet to hear
At midnight, on the blue and moonlit deep,
The song and oar of Adria's gondolier.
By distance mellowed, o'er the waters sweep."

These gondoliers don't sing any more. I have
listened for one of their songs ever since my arrival
here, but have heard "nary" song.

The Grand Canal is to Venice what Broadway is
to 'New York — the great thoroughfare. I have
spent much time in gliding up and down this canal,
gazing at the great and gorgeous palaces, wonder-
stricken, with eyes stretched to a size little less than
tea-cups. And then the flashing eyes that beam
and sparkle from the palace windows, and the
graceful forms that lean from the balconies, set my
heart all a-flutter. I imagine that Jessica, the fair
Jewess, looked as they look, when watching for her
Lorenzo ; (believe that's the name of the fellow who
stole old Shylock's daughter.)

And I have stood upon the Rialto, the splendid
arch that spans this Grand Canal. Hard by it is the
Exchange, (it is a market now for fishes,) where
Antonio and Shylock were wont in former times
to talk of trade and commerce, and where Antonio
spat upon the Jew's gabardine, and called him

i'J^J

II AL'S TRAVELS. 95

"dog;" and it was there, or thereabout, tlic bond
was sealed for the pound of flesh. Some of the
Shylock family arc said to be still found in the
neighborhood. The Rialto is a specimen of archi-
tecture never surpassed, either in ancient or in
modern times. Numerous little shops for the sale
of bogus jewelry, cheap goods, and worthless
trinkets, are now upon this bridge.

St. Mark's Square is the centre of attraction in
Venice. It is an open space of several acres, paved
with marble slabs, and surrounded with buildings
of great magnificence. These houses are occupied
as splendid shops and brilliant cafes, with colonnades.
It is a place of general resort, and bands of music
often play in it. The diie of the city, and strangers
innumerable, may always be found in St. Mark's
Square. In front of the cafes, people of all nations
under the sun may be seen sipping their punch,
their wine, or their coffee — playing cards, dominoes,
or chess.

On one side of this square stands St. Mark's
Cathedral, one of the most quaint as well as most
magnificent buildings in the world. It would fill
many pages to give any thing approaching a descrip-
tion of this ancient structure, so I shall not attempt
it. N'early the whole of the interior is mosaic of
the finest kind, representing many sacred scenes.
The four gilded bronze horses, stolen, I believe, by
the Venetians from Constantinople, stand above the
grand portal of this church. The Doge's palace, of
which structure everybody has read something, is

96 HAL'S TRAVELS.

connected with this cathedral. In architecture it is
a masterpiece, and very large. I have wandered
through it, and looked at almost acres of paintings,
many of them by Titian, Tintoretto, and other old
masters. Titian was a Venetian. Was also con-
ducted through the gloomy prisons of this palace,
where many noble, wise, and good men have pined
their lives away. Also crossed the Bridge of Sighs,
leading from the palace prison to another prison
more gloomy still, and from which no prisoner ever
returned who entered it by way of this fatal bridge.
The prison is separated from the palace by a canal,
across which the Bridge of Sighs is suspended, some
twenty feet above the water.

A part of the Palazzo San Marco, or St, Mark's
Square, opens upon the bay, where two magnificent
granite columns stand, one of which is crowned
with a winged lion, called St. Mark's lion ; (St. Mark
is the patron saint of Venice, and every thing im-
portant must be called after him.) The story of
these columns is this: They were pillaged from
some other city, (don't remember what city,) and
brought to Venice many centuries ago, but so great
was their size that no man could be found who
would undertake to elevate them upon their pedes-
tals. After they had lain for a great many years
upon the ground, a celebrated gambler of the city
proposed to the Doge that he would raise and place
them upon their pedestals, upon the condition that
he and his friends should ever after have the privi-
lege of gambling between them, without being in-

UAL'S TRAVELS. 97

tcrfered witli by the law. This was granted by tlie
Doge, although gambling was prohibited in all
other parts of Venice, and severely punished b}^ the
law. The columns were elevated on this condition,
but in the course of time the space between them
became such a resort for gamblers and desperate
characters, that the civil authorities found it abso-
lutely necessary to do something to suppress the
scenes there enacted. They could only do it b}^
decreeing that all public executions should take
place on the same spot. This broke up the gam-
bling.

We have now been in Venice four days, and have
visited a great many churches, palaces, asylums,
etc., and have looked at and admired paintings by
the acre, and statues innumerable.

It would not take me long to tire of Venice ;
every thing is so silent and monotonous. I want to
be where I can see hills and movintains, and look
upon running water. John is already satisfied with
Venice.

"We came through from Milan by rail, passing
through Verona, Padua, etc., the former of which
is rendered immortal by Shakspeare, as the scene
where figured Romeo and Juliet. The tomb of the
fiiir Juliet is still pointed out to travellers. Verona
is also celebrated on account of its great Roman
amphitheatre, second only to the Coliseum at
Rome. Padua is also very ancient, and is also the
place in which some of Shakspeare's characters
ligured. It is the place of Livy's birth and resid-
4

98 HAL'S TRAVELS.

ence. Giotti, the great painter, also lived tliere, and
his paintings adorn many of the old churches now.
We go from here to Florence, by way of Padua,
Eovego, Ferrara, Bologna, etc. Adieu.

Hal.

HAL'S TRAVELS. 99

LETTER XII.

VENICE TO FLORENCE.

After a vast deal of trouble and vexation by the
way, I am at length in the classic city of Florence,
the centre of art in Europe, and very near the centre
of poor bleeding Italy. And being snugly housed
in my new quarters, I cannot better spend an hour
perhaps than in scribbling you a few lines.

But what shall I write about? I could write col-
umns of doleful twaddle about the torn and dis-
tracted condition of the Italian States. I could get
up a most solemn article about the poor down-trod-
den Italians, who writhe beneath the iron heel of
Popery. I might write pages of dreary nonsense
about the black and threatening war-cloud that is now
hanging over the whole of Europe, or get up a read-
able article about the attitude of France and Eng-
land, who now stand eyeing each other like two
furious ram-cats upon the point of a most disastrous
clapper-clawing. Or I might scribble long and loud
about England and the United States, the San Juan
difficulty, and our success in the Celestial Empire,
and the discomfiture of the British at the mouth of
the Peiho. Again, I might write a stirring appeal

100 iial's travels.

to the world in behalf of the Italian patriots who
followed the lead of Victor Emanuel and Garibaldi,
and loom extensively against the bloody-minded
Pope, and tyrannical Austria. I say, I might spread
myself on any or all of these subjects, but what
would it all amount to ? The light that I could
throw upon any of them would be so infinitesimally
small, that a glass magnifying a thousand times
would be required to see it. So I shall pass them
all by, and endeavor to pen what you may term an
" anti-blue-devil" document ; for I hold that he who
dispels one vapor from the mental sky of his read-
ers, does more good sometimes than he who con-
vulses nations. !N"onsense is a good thing in its
place — better on some occasions than volumes of
learned lore.

" A little nonsense now and then
Is relished by the wisest men."

So I say. Paradoxical as it may seem, nonsense is
sometimes the best of sense — old fogies and long-
faced Solons to the contrary notwithstanding.

I am no grumbler. I call upon you to bear me
witness that in all that I have written during my
travels, I have never written one line in a grumbling
spirit. Travellers, you know, are almost universally
grumblers. It is their right, and, as they pay for the
privilege, they love to enjoy it. Hotel -keepers,
Avaiters, and servants generally come in for their
share of censure, while the public conveyances and
their conductors are almost universally inveighed

iial's travels. 101

agiiinst. The English traveller (and his name is
legion) never finds any thing on the Continent like
it is at " 'ome," hence he is in a grumbling mood all
the time. It has been a source of some amusement
to rac to watch and listen to some of these people.
Still, I must say, John Bull is a good fellow at bot-
tom, and I trust the day will never come when we
shall be at daggers-points with him ; although I go
in for our Government holding on to the San Juan Is-
land, even to the bitter end, daggers or no daggers.

But, as I said above, I am no grumbler, but one
of the bcst-natured individuals in the world — a model
of patience, a paragon of submissiveness ; in fact, a
second ]Mrs. Caudle, who, you know, declared on
divers occasions that she was " the patientest thing
alive." If it were not so, I should have been in a
perfect stew for the last five days. To have under-
gone what I have in that time would have made
Socrates (who was reputed to be a man of great
patience) tear his hair and gnash his teeth in very
wrath, and Job would possibly have cursed outright,
while Samson would have overturned mountains in
his anger. Yet I did none of these wicked things.
I will give you an outline of the grievances that be-
set me by the way from Venice to this city.

It was a dull cloud}' morning that John and my-
self took our departure from the beautiful " city of
the sea." Upon arriving at the railway-station, our
carpet-bags were taken charge of by an Austrian
custom-house ofiicer, who, upon our noncompliance
with the general custom of slipping a few francs

102 hal's travels.

into his hand as a bribe, proceeded to search them
most thoroughly, tearing our clothes out, unrolling
them, peeping into every hole and corner, leaving
them scattered in the most promiscuous manner.
In the search he found in each of our carpet-bags a
small roll of Turkish tobacco. Upon this discovery
his eyes glistened with fiendish delight, and grin-
ning horribly a ghastly smile, he passed it over to a
second official, who responded to his chuckle. After
weighing the tobacco, and making a great many
figures in a business-like way, we were informed
that we could take our choice, either to go back to
the city under an escort of soldiers, or pay three
dollars and fifty cents and go on our way. We
chose the latter, shook the dust from our feet, and
departed. John bullied them out of a dollar which
they wanted him to pay on a cigar-case. This was
only our first trouble. Tw^o hours after leaving Ven-
ice we arrived at Padua, where we designed taking
diligence for this city. The hotel-keeper informed
us that the seats in the diligence were all engaged,
and that we would have to remain there twenty-four
hours, or place ourselves in the tender clutches of a
vetturino. He (the hotel-keeper) would be gainer,
let us adopt what course we would, for he was the
proprietor of the carriages as well as the hotel. We
were immediately surrounded by a swarm of vettu-
rinos, who pretended to be rivals, but really all the
servants of the same proprietor. One of them pro-
posed to carry us to Ferrara in time for the diligence
next day, for eighty francs. Another said he would

hal'r travels. 103

carry ns for seventy-five francs. A third very gen-
erously proposed to carry us through for sixty.
Thinking we would get the passage cheap, we pro-
fessed to he content to remain in Padua until the
next day for the diligence. Finally, one fellow ap-
proached us and oftered to take us for the low price
of fifty francs. We closed the hargain, thinking it
dirt-cheap, and found out too late that it was twenty
francs more than we ought to have paid. Left Pa-
dua in a sweeping gallop, and in the midst of a
beating rain.

Arrived at Rovego about eight o'clock at night,
where our passports were demanded. Handed them
over ; and by some sort of hocus-pocus trick they
were retained for twenty-eight hours! The oflicer
whose duty it was to sign them, was out of place —
on a spree, perhaps — and there we had to stay, in a
hotel like a dog-kennel, surrounded with beggars
and low, greasy Italians. Some people would have
got mad under such circumstances. Got our pass-
ports at length, and made another start. At Ma-
dalena, at the crossing of the river Po, were stopped
again, and had to hunt an hour in the rain for
another little upstart Austrian officer to sign our
passports, and during the whole 'time were sur-
rounded and set upon by a horde of long, lank,
lean, lazy, lounging, loafing, lame, lying, lousy laz-
zaroni, whose sole business is begging. I amused
myself by bouncing the small end of my stick off
some of their heads, which is evidence that I am
one of the best-natured creatures in the world;

104 hal's travels.

otherwise I slioukl have gone in for breaking necks.
John boiled over. Well, in the course of time, we
crossed the Po, and reached the city of Ferrara in
time to find that we were too late for the diligence,
and all the seats even for the next day had been
taken. Another struggle with the vetturinos,
dozens of whom ofi:ered their services to take us to
Bologna. Finally struck a bargain with one, and
afjain found out too late that we were swindled
worse than before. Got to Bologna and found the
diligence again full, and all the seats engaged for
two days ahead. Stayed at Bologna twenty-four
hours — long enough to see all the sights of the city,
and test the quality of the Bologna sausages. Our
landlord was a growling, snarling, snappish fellow.
John said it was owing to his having eaten so
many sausages. The point of the joke " came to
me" two days afterwards.

At Boloacna we hired another vetturino. He was
a real nice fellow, and agreed to put us through to
Florence in the most genteel style. Showed us his
nice carriage, to which he would hitch three s]3lendid
horses. "We agreed to pay him a round price for
the extra fine style in Avhich we w^ere to travel. At
the appointed hour we set off in a gallop, really
proud of our splendid three-horse turnout. It was
two o'clock in the evening. At seven our postilion
halted at a miserable inn, which was full of drunken,
brigandish -looking fellows, and the landlord of
which had a most villainous face. There we had
to sleep till morning, or rather waich ; for it w^ould

iial's travels. 105

require a very sanguine man to sleep in a house
filled with such ferocious-looking creatures as were
there, and that too in a gorge of the Apennines,
once fiiraous for robbers. The carousal was kept
up nearly all night, and we watched with vigilance,
but didn't see "nary banditti." When morning
came, we found that our fine vetturino had de-
camped—taken the back track to Bologna — and
had left us to bo forwarded in a miserable one-horse
concern, under the care of a new postilion ! We
had our choice — either to submit to the outrage,
and go on, stay where we were, or walk back to
Bologna for the purpose of whipping the proprietor.
As travellers never like to turn back, we went
ahead. After travelling three or four hours, were
again transferred to an old barouche, drawn by two
frames of horses, a sight of which would have made
a turkey-buzzard smack his lips, and rejoice at the
prospect of an early feast. With i:his turnout we
finished the long and tedious ascent of the Apen-
nines, and descended into the beautiful level country
on this side. At Pistoja our postilion dumped us
down, some twenty miles from Florence, notwith-
standing our distinct contract with the proprietor
to put us all the way through to this city. The
postilion said that his instructions were to bring us
no farther ; and he would not do it. As Pistoja is
a railroad station, we frightened the postilion into
buying us tickets, when we took rail and landed
here safely, in a little more than five days from
Venice.

106 hal's travels.

Now, considering all the troubles and besetments
that met us by the way, don't you think we did well
to keep our teniper ? What would Job have done,
or what would even Mrs. Caudle have done, under
the circumstances? But, as I said before, I don't
grumble.

I have not been in Florence long enough to tell
you any thing about it. Will do so, perhaps, before
long. Can only say that it is a city of great beauty,
and is the most beautifully situated of any city I
ever saw, being almost surrounded by gently rising
mountains, the sides of which are dotted with villas
and gardens of much loveliness. The river Arno
flows through the midst of the city. I promise
myself much pleasure in visiting the many galleries
of art here, which are the finest in the world,
except, perhaps, those of Rome. Have visited the
family of the American Consul, General Mallett,
where I was courteously received and entertained.
General M. is a high-toned gentleman, and Mrs. M.
a most accomplished lady.

Think I shall visit Rome and Naples some time
during the winter, provided there is no war in this
country. If there be war, I shall be on the right side.

As this letter is long enough, I shall desist for the
present, with the cry of, " Three cheers for Victor
Emanuel and Garibaldi ! Nine cheers for Uncle Sam !
Death to Popery and the double-headed Austrian
Eagle ! Liberty to Ital}^ and the world, mental,
moral, and political ! So mote it me!

Yours, etc., Hal.

HAL'S TRAVELS. 107

LETTER XIII.

FLORENCE.

The following was written to Dr. Antony, of
Huntsville, Alabama:

Dear Doctor : — God bless you ! Yes, I repeat it
with euerg}', God bless you ! You have made my
heart glad. Your letter — the first that I have re-
ceived from any source since crossing the Atlantic —
reached me to-day, and was as a balm, a soothing
cordial to my heart. Your kind and pleasant
words were like "apples of gold in pictures of
silver," Would that I could write a response in
equally elegant and pleasant style ; but as I cannot,
being a plain, blunt man, you must accept such a
document as I can pen. But

Mercy on us ! AVhat a noise ! what a hubbub !
what a rumpus ! what a hellabaloo has been kept
up hi Florence this whole blessed day, and is still,
though eight o'clock at night, going on without the
least abatement. Bomb — bomb — bang — bang —
ding-dong — rattle, rattle ! Was the like ever heard !
A thousand bells, of all sizes, tones, and descriptions,
all ringing at once, and each particular bell, with-

108 hal's travels.

out tlie least regard to harmony, exerting all its
powers to ring louder and more harshly than its
neighbor. I am really almost distracted with the
noise, and shall make hut a poor out writing to-
night. To-day is a great Catholic festival — All-
Saints' day — but from my heart I pity all saints who
have remained in Florence to witness its celebra-
tion ; for surely they will retire with aching heads.
" Old Nick" himself (and he is generally allowed to
be a brave one) is made of more plucky stuff than
ordinary devils are supposed to be made of, if he
has stood his ground to-day. Nay ; if he has ears
to hear, and wings to fly, I must think he made his
escape with the dawn of day. And wise would it
have been for every peaceable, quiet, well-disposed
person to have followed his example — not that I
approve of people following the example of so vil-
lainous a vagabond, as a general thing. But any
thing to get away from a Catholic festival, where
they have as many bells as they have in Florence.
If I were not in an ill-humor, I would spend my
opinion freely about those tormenting bells, and
the people who ring them, but shall refrain from
domg so until I am more composed. I might say
something harsh, which would no doubt be very
lacerating to the feelings of the "holy fathers;"
and that would be cruel, you know. Besides, it is
not in my nature to wound the feelings of my fel-
low-men wantonly, more especially those whose
mission it is to remit sins, and whose privilege it is
to grant indulgences to those who may desire to

hal's travels. 109

transgress the holy commandments of God. I^To ;
far be it from me to speak harshly or disparagingly
of so large and so very respectable a bod}' of men,
whose rigid, energetic, and persevering piety is no
less vividly marked in their sleek, round faces, than
in the sacred robes they wear. I^a}', let me not
olFend them ; for I would as soon have a legion of
devils after me, as an army of pot-bellied priests.
The annals of Italy prove that they are a desperate
and bloodthirsty people, notwithstanding their
fierce sanctity. Then let them ring their bells, eat
their wafers, grant indulgences, remit sins, strut the
streets, grind the poor, crush liberty, and fill the
land with beggars : I shall not say aught against
their peace and quiet. But enough about the
Catholics and their bells. I must tell you some-
thing about Florence.

But hark! There comes "a rapping at my
chamber-door." '■^Entree."

My landlady's daughter has just been in to inform
me that an American gentleman in an adjoining
house has been found dead in his room. If you
will excuse me for a little while, I'll go and make
inquiries about it. Hope the bells have not caused
his sudden death.

The foregoing was written last night, from which
I was called abruptly to the chamber of death. The

man was dead — very dead. A Mr. B., of P ,

a victim of "cold pisou," caused, as ho left "a billy-

110 hal's travels.

dux a stating," by circumstances similar to those
which caused Sickles to murder Key. Yes, he is
gone, and is by this time no doubt safely ferried
over the river Styx, and landed where all suicides go.

Perhaps you think I speak too lightly of so seri-
ous a matter — that I ought to call up a few croco-
dile tears, and say "poor fellow," and all that sort
of stuff. Perhaps I ought, but I cannot. I have a
peculiar notion about suicides. They quit the
world because they cannot make the world quit
them. If they could crush the world, and leave
themselves living, they would do it; but as they
cannot, they destroy themselves. And besides,
they are stimulated to the act by the knowledge
that they will be honored with a great funeral pro-
cession, and have the sympathies of the world, and
that their death and attendant circumstances will be
heralded to all parts of the world in the newspapers.
If it were law and the custom (and it ought to be)
to bur}' all suicides with their faces down, and stakes
driven through their bodies, such occurrences would
be few and far between. But you may say that a
man is deranged when he takes his own life. Very
likely ; but would not the reflection upon such a
disposition of the body, and the absence of the sym-
pathies of the world, bring about a sober second
thought, and prevent that methodical derangement ?
It seems so to me.

But I must tell you something about Florence, if
I can find a starting-point. Would that I could
paint you a picture of this lovely city ! I know you

iial's travels. Ill

would be clmvmcd with it, for it is the gem, the
crowning jewel of all the beautiful things I have
seen in Europe. If it be true that "a thing of
beauty is a joy for ever," I could impart to you a
lasting joy. But I despair. I feel powerless as an
infant. I cannot impart to you even an outline. I
have groped about amid magnificence and in beauty
until I am sick. You may laugh at me, but it is
true ! I am sick with seeing. When I wander
through the galleries, the palaces, the churches and
the gardens, I become faint, and my head throbs
with pain, caused by the continued and labored
effort of the mind to comprehend the grandeur of
the objects presented. I am robbed of more than
half the pleasure by the exceeding beauty and great-
ness of what 1 see. This is no idle assertion, but a
truth. I know not if it be so with others.

But you perhaps expect me to tell you something
about the city. And as the galleries of paintings
are the first places visited by most travellers, and as
it is their custom, almost universally — especially
those who write — to tell of what "they there see,
(and they are generally severe critics,) you may pos-
sibly expect a similar tirade from me. You shall
not, however, be so bored. I shall not attempt to
criticise a single painting. You may wonder that
I should so far depart from the general custom —
and, indeed, it is to be wondered at — especially
when you reflect that I can find so many wise and
learned criticisms already prepared to my hands,
and nothing to do but to adopt and copy them.

112 iial's travels.

Guide-books arc of great advantage to critics, and
to descriptive writers generally. But unfortunately
for me, I made the sad discovery, when in Paris,
that I was no judge of pictures. I made the dis-
covery thus : It was in the Luxembourg Palace,
which is filled with the paintings of living artists.
I was standing before a picture with some friends,
and was pointing out to said friends the peculiar
beauties and excellence of said picture. I had
selected it as the finest work of art in the room, and
was well-nigh going into ecstasies over it, when I
heard a voice behind me utter that senseless but
very significant word, "Bosh!" Looking round,
who should be there but a gentleman in whose taste
and judgment I had the most unbounded confi-
dence. Irony and sarcasm were depicted in the
contemptuous smiles that sat upon his face. He
then went into a critical analysis of the before-men-
tioned painting, making it as clear as mud to all
present that it was one of the most contemptible
daubs ever suftered to occupy a public position — a
disgrace to the gallery. I wilted, and never since
that day have I attempted to criticise a picture.

But this is not telling you about Florence. Just
imagine yourself with me, and we will take a stroll
over the city, the day being one of the most lovely
of the season. Our walk must be a hurried one —
just taking time to glance at the things along the
way. First we will go to the great Cathedral of St.
Maria del Fiore, one of the greatest lions of the
city. Does it not loom up grandly ? It is built, or

hal's travels. 113

rather encased, in polished inarhlc of various colors,
and is one of the largest in Italy, being four hun-
dred and twenty-six feet long, and three hundred
and fifty-three feet wide ; and that dome you see
perched up so high is one hundred and forty feet
from one angle to the other, said to be the largest
dome in the world, except the Pantheon at Rome.
By going up to the top of that, you have an excellent
view of Florence and the country around. Let us
go inside. Here, stop at the door, and look away
yonder at the high altar. It is nearly two hundred
yards off. Those priests you see officiating there
look no larger than grasshoppers. But is not the
view a grand one — one vast hall nearly two hundred
yards long, and high in proportion ? 'Now let us
enter and look at the thousand and one contrivances
by which Popery gulls the people. The floor you
see is of marble of various colors, worked into many
kinds of figures ; the walls ditto. The altars are
gorgeous, and the stained-glass windows are very
pretty. But for fear you may hurt your neck look-
ing up at the frescoes in the great dome, we will re-
tire, and come again when we have more time. As
we are a little hurried, we will pass by all the other
churches to-day, although there are a hundred worth
visiting, representing every style of architecture,
and frescoes innumerable.

"We will now go to the Pitti palace, if you please.
On our way thither we pass by several other palaces,
the most imposing of which is that of Ufizzi, which
looms up massive and gloomy just on the corner of

114 iial's travels.

the Square Gran Diica. "We Avill not enter now, for
we would not have time to examine the hundreds
of .celebrated paintings which it contains. Just by
it is the Royal Gallery, the most valuable treasure
Florence possesses. Here we might spend a day,
and then retire with the determination to come again
and again. "We will pass this by also, for were you
to go in, you would soon be lost in admiration of the
famous Venus de Medicis, and other great works of
art, and would forget the Pitti palace. Now we will
cross the Arno over this magnificent stone-bridge,
and in one minute's walk will be at the Palazzo
Pitti. Here it is. Is it not enough to make man
feel insignificant to look up at those massive walls ?
See those huge stones of which it is built ; rough
almost as they came from the quarry, but so large !
some ten and some twenty feet long. Is it not as-
tonishing ? Don't your head begin to pain you ?
Mine does. But it will be worse before we get
through. "We will now pass this sentinel and go in,
and as I am anxious to get into the garden in the
rear, the famous Boboli Garden, we will hurry rapidly
through the various rooms of the palace, where the
paintings and statuary you will find rivalling those
at the Royal Florentine Gallery. There are four-
teen saloons in this palace that deserve our special
attention, but they cannot all be seen at one visit,
neither will we have time to examine the grandeur
of the building itself. First we will enter the
Saloon of Venus. Here you are enraptured with the
frescoes on the ceiling. There arc Minerva, Venus,

hal's travels. 115

Hercules, and Cosmo; the Genius of War; Scipio,
Antiochus, and his Mistress ; Crispus and Fausta ;
Cyrus and Panthea ; Augustus and Cleopatra ; Alex-
ander; the Mother and Wife of Darius, etc., etc.
Are thej^ not magnificent ? Now we enter the Saloon
of Apollo, in which, as in the previous one, we will
only glance at the frescoes. Here we see Apollo
and Cosmo ; Cnesar stud^dng his books as he walks,
that he may lose no time ; Augustus listening to the
^neid ; Alexander and the Emperor Justinian,
etc. Next the Saloon of 3Ia.rs, where we find Mars
and Cosmo; Castor and Pollux; Captives loaded
with chains, supplicating the Goddess of Victory;
Peace and Abundance, scattering blessings. Saloon
of Jupikr : Jupiter, Cosmo, Olympus, and Hercules;
Minerva planting an olive-tree ; Mars mounted on
Pegasus ; Vulcan reposing on his anvil ; Diana
sleeping ; Apollo and Mercury, etc. Now, do not
the magnificence of these paintings make you open
your eyes with wonder ? I doubt if you have seen
the beautiful furniture of these saloons as you passed
through them, so taken up were you with the paint-
ings. Surely the furniture deserves notice : those
splendid vases, ornamented clocks, tables of Floren-
tine Mosaic, etc., etc. But as our time is limited,
we will not linger in the palace. AVewill, however,
pass through the Gallery Flora, that you may see
the celebrated Venus of Cauova, said to rival even
the Venus de Medicis.

Now we pass from the palace into the garden,
the first view of which makes us halt and gaze and

116 hal's travels.

wonder with admiration. The groves, the foun-
tains, the lahja'inthine avenues, the cunningly
devised arcades of evergreen, the hundreds of
statues — wonderful ! wonderful ! After wandering
an hour, and thinking surely we have seen it all,
new beauties hurst upon us that we knew not of.
"Were we to tell our friends of but the half we see
here, they would give us no credit for veracity.
Come let us mount up to the highest point, (for you
observe this garden is on a hill,) and take a look
down at the city. Is it not lovely as a bride adorned
for her husband? And then the villas that dot the
hills and vales in all the country around — could
man conceive anything more enchauting? Look
out there to the East; there is Fiesole, where
ancient Florence stood upon the hill. In the midst
of it 5'ou see an old tower. That is the tower of
Galileo, from which that great philosopher watched
the heavens.

Now, contemplating all the beauties you see before
and around you, you say, Surely these Florentines are
a great people. But you must remember that all
these things have been thousands of years accumu-
lating. It is a very ancient city. The Etruscans
were here indulging in all the luxuries of life, while
the Greeks were still barbarians, and Rome had yet
no name. And even then they cultivated sculp-
ture, painting, architecture, and all the arts, with a
passion. Ko wonder, then, that Florence should
now be the centre of art.

But let us quit the Boboli Garden now, and take

HAL'S TRAVELS. 117

a stroll to the Casine, that great resort into which
Florence empties itself almost every evening. And
as we have to pass by my restaurant, we will step
in and take a lunch. It is rather an extensive
establishment, and you can have any thing you call
for ; but, as 3'ou are my guest, you must submit to
the fare that I submit to every day. First, we take
soup — any kind you like. Xow a dish of meat and
vegetables — any kind you are disposed to order —
and a small bottle of wine. "We end now with a
small dessert of fruit, either grapes, figs, pears, or
apples. Being through, now, we pay three pauls
(about thirty-three cents) each, and retire. This is
ni}' dinner, generally. Breakfast costs one paul,
(eleven cents,) and supper the same. So you see
living is not dear here.

But we will go on to the Casine — an extensive
park, or grove, or forest, adjoining the city. You
may imagine that it now is Sunday morning, four
o'clock ; for Sunday is the day, and four o'clock the
hour, when we will see most people. We will take
our course down the quay along the banks of the
Arno, which you see flows through the midst of the
city. It is a long walk ; but then we will be in
such a crowd, and the way is so beautiful, that the
distance will be forgotten. Little more than half a
mile will put us beyond the city walls, when we will
enter immediately into the country. But, mercy
on us ! what a crowd ! what a rush ! Everybody is
out, and all dressed up in their best, and all, too,
looking pleased with themselves and all the world.

118 hal's travels.

And then look at the scores and scores of brilliant
and gorgeous equipages ! Did you ever see so
many and such a variety of turnouts ? Look, there
is a four-horse coach — four beautiful cream horses.
Don't they prance ! And, as I live, here comes an
eight-horse establishment! and a six-horse, just be-
hind it ! A}'^ ; don't the liveried servants flash and
shine ! And then the ladies ! How their eyes
sparkle, and how their plumes nod ! "What an
astonishing amount of fine store goods we see !
You see at a glance, from the display of fashion,
that the season is open in Florence — wide open —
and the fashionables are making the best of it.
These people are mostly foreigners — only here for
the season. Thousands of English, French, Ger-
mans, and Americans come to this city to spend
the winter. Here we are, at the city gate ; and
now, amid the jam, we enter the Casine. Is it not
lovely ? Did you ever see nature and art more hap-
pily blended ? Those groves, walks, and drives, are
perfectly enchanting. Here we are, in a dense crowd.
Just yonder we can dive into the bosom of the forest,
and in one minute be beyond the noise of the crowd.
But we will keep Avith the company, for they all
seem to be making for one place. Here are seats,
by the way: we can rest occasionally. We will
take the walk on the extreme left, which is on the
margin of the Arno. About two miles down we
halt, because everybody else does. Here are thou-
sands of people and hundreds of carriages. JSTow
you know why they all stopped. A band of fifty

iial's travels. 119

brass instruments strikes up a lively air. "Wbatl^
and on Sunday ! Certainl}^ on Sunday. Now, if we
were to tell this to our countrymen, no doubt many
of them would roll up their big white eyes to
heaven, raise their hands, and thank God that they
were not as other men ! ^lusic — brass music — on
Sunday ! Horrible ! Well, it may be a very hor-
rible thing, but I am fully persuaded that it is not
as horrible as many other things. It gives the
people recreation and a place to go to. Were there
no such place to resort to, about one-third of these
people would sleep away the evening ; another third
would perhaps spend the time in the drinking-
saloons, while the remaining third would wander
listlessly about the streets. This is a military band,
that plays every day in some part of the city, but
only twice a week (Sundays and Thursdays) in the
Casino. Don't you think it a good institution,
Doctor, and don't you think that every city and
town ought to have a band to play, especially on
Sunday evenings, even in America? Look on the
crowd before us, and give me a candid answer. Did
you ever see a more orderly, contented company ?

But let us retire from the crowd a few moments,
to the river bank; for it is the hour of sunset.
You have heard and read of Italian sunsets — of
their beauty and exceeding gorgeousness. You
shall now see that all you have heard is true.
Behold the beautiful tints, the rich, golden streaks
that dart up the sky, the gorgeous halo upon the
peaks of the Apennines! Is it not enchanting? —

120 hal's travels.

for all the world like a sunset in Alabama ! — ^than
which there can be nothing more beautiful, except
a sunrise !

The music has now ceased, and the people are
wending their way back to the city. Let us join
them ; but as the walk may seem longer in return-
ing, we will take a carriage — there are plenty here
waiting to be hired — and join the mass of aristo-
cratic equipages. Look ! look ! Do 3^ou see that
hard-featured lady in that fine carriage? That is
old Aunt Harriet Beecher Stowe, who is now spend-
ing her time and her ill-got money in Florence.
Don't she cut a swell !

Here we are, at my lodgings, 'No. 1187 Lung
Arno. "Walk up with me, and we will ring for tea.
"Walk in. Don't be surprised. My apartments are
finely, I may say gorgeously, furnished ; which is
peculiar to Florence. But, fine as all this furni-
ture is, I only pay eight dollars a month, service
included.

Ay ; here is Marie, with her tray of tea and toast.
Very good; isn't it? It is a good thing to have a
good landlady — one who will always send you
enough.

ISTow, tea being over, we will take a smoke, after
which, if you feel disposed, we will go out and take
a look at the city b}^ moonlight ; for the moon is
now near the full. Here are some excellent cigars.
Take one. I will, if you will excuse me, fall back
upon my old friend, the pipe.

Go ! 0 no ! Don't think of going yet. It is

iial's travels. 121

quite enrly. Here — the nig-ht being balmy, we will
open this door, and take a seat on the balcon}-,
which, you see, overlooks the Arno. And here,
while we smoke, I will briefly tell you my plans for
the future. For the present I am trying to conquer
a language wliieli has thus far proved too hard for
me, but which I intend to master, before I am done
with it. I have an excellent lady teacher. "Well,
after I have done that, I shall visit Rome and Naples ;
after which I shall start for Egypt and the Holy
Land. There is a company of Americans here
now, who start in January. I have promised to go
with them. This is my present design, but lazi-
ness, and a love of Florence, may prevent my
going.

But, Doctor, with all the beauty of Florence, and
all the balminess of the Italian climate, and all the
poetical associations of the Arno and the Apennines,
I would rather drink from the big spring in Ilunts-
ville, and gaze upon Monte Sano, than to enjoy all
these things. It would give me more pleasure now
to take by the hand an old Alabama or Tennessee
friend, than to be perched upon the pinnacle of the
tallest pyramid of Egypt.

But you say you must go, so I will not detain you.
Farewell. God bless you.

Consider me ever yours till further advised.

Hal.

122 hal's travels.

LETTER XIV.

FLORENCE.

"We are at leugth having a taste of winter in
Florence. The distant peaks of the Apennines are
white with snow, and the tramontane blasts come
whirling and dancing and eddying along the streets
and around the corners, in the most fantastic, frolic-
some, and cutting manner. This being the state of
the weather, your correspondent has betaken him-
self to his domicile, and is now snugly housed before
a sparkling wood tire, (a small one, however, for
wood is very dear here,) and is just in the humor to
bore you with a most unmercifully dull letter, the
which you will find to be a hotch-potch of stuff
thrown together at random, and in the which, if
you do not find any thing wise, you will find plenty
that is o^Aerwise.

Perhaps you would like to take a look at this
lovely city and its surroundings this morning. If
so, you may for the time consider yourself with
your correspondent, and he will take much pleasure
in conducting you to a point from which you can
have a view that will certainly charm you. The
view we will take this morning will be a general

hal's travels. 123

one, for it would require a month, if not two
months, to see the beauties of the city in detail.
We will go up to the ancient hill and city of Fiesole,
five miles distant, but which indeed looks to be only
as many hundred yards. In fact, so bold and strik-
ing is it, that it seems to almost jut up against the
city walls. From that eminence you will have a
view which I venture to say is not surpassed in the
world. But in our journey to Fiesole, we will no-
tice a few things along the way. As the wind
blows cold, (though the sky is clear, and the sun
shines most brilliantly,) we will drop in here at
"Cafe Doncy" and take a cup of strong coffee — a
very fashionable drink here, and more invigorating
than wine or strong drink. This, you observe, is
the coffee house of Florence. Here you may see
people from almost every nation under the sun, at
all hours of the day. Those waiters, you see, ad-
dress every man in his own tongue, whether he be
English, French, German, Turk, or Spaniard. It
is passing strange that men in such humble posi-
tions should be able to speak so many languages —
when with us a man who can speak two or three
languages fluently is considered quite a scholar.

Now here you see dozens of the Florentine
"flower girls," who resort here daily with their
baskets of flowers, to furnish strangers with little
bouquets. They are very bold, you see, and if you
will not buy a bouquet, they thrust it upon you any-
how, pay or no pay, and depend upon your gene-
rosity at some future time. You have no doubt

124 HAL'S TRAVELS.

heard of these flower girls before — have read of
them often — and have perhaps seen pictures of them.
They are very pretty creatures — in pictures ! You
are disappointed when j'Ou see them face to face.
The average age of them you will set down at not
less than thirty-five years. Now here comes one
with her great Leghorn hat, the broad brim flaringly
thrown back, exposing an enormous expanse of face,
about the color of new leather. Another follows
in her wake, with pinched features, of a putty color.
And there is one whose great fat cheeks forcibly
remind you of two prodigious beef-steaks. I know
you are amused when you observe the coy glances
and assumed modest shyness of these flower girls —
or wenches, rather.

But here is another scene of a difterent kind, and,
if I judge you rightly, it will touch you in a tender
place. See that little tattered girl with pinched,
sharp features, as if age had already come upon her,
leading her poor blind father, and modestly holding
out her little withered hand, asking alms. Is it not
a pitiable sight? "Here, child, here are some sous
for you. Go buy the poor old man a loaf of bread,
and then lead him to the sunny side of the great
palace, where I often see you with him, where he
may eat his scanty meal in peace, warmed by the
gentle rays of the sun, which shines as benignly
upon the poor as upon the rich." And here is a
poor old crippled woman. She too must have her
breakfast. Two cents will buy her a loaf of bread,
and that will appease her gnawing hunger. AVho

iial's travels. 125

would refuse to give it to her? To give a mite to
these poor hungry creatures is a luxury, a balm to
the heart of the benevolent. It is better to bleed
the pocket than the heart.

Go, old grandmother, and get your breakfast. As
to these sturdy wretches who lounge about the
streets and beg, I would rather give them kicks
than coppers.

Now we will proceed towards Fiesole, but will
not have time to stop on the way to see the many
beautiful sights. "We will stop a moment, however,
in the square of the Duomo, and look at the great
Cathedral, the Bell tower, and the Baptistry. No
man can pass such a place as this without pausing,
for the architectural beauty here displayed would
charm a Hottentot. Let us approach the Baptistry.
It is, you see, a very grand building, of octagonal
form, and, like the Cathedral and Campanile, is
built of various-colored marble — red, white and
black, checked off in chess-board style. We will
not enter, but just look at the three enormous doors
cast in bronze, the wonder of all who behold them.
These doors, or gates, are exquisitely wrought in
basso-relievo, representing various Scripture scenes,
from the creation on down to the Christian era.
The sculpture is as elaborate as beautiful. The
great artist Michael Angelo said of them :

"Tlio gates arc so miraculously -wrougbt,

That they might serve to be the gates of heaven."

The interior of this Baptistry, like many of the

126 hal's travels.

palaces and cliurclies of Florence, is enriched with
works of art by the great fathers of Italian painting
and sculpture — Cimabue, Giotto Memmi, Michael
Angelo, and others. But we cannot see them to-
day.

We will pass out of the city through the gate of
St. Gallo, and proceed on our excursion. Those
villas and the richly-cultivated and terraced gardens
along the way are perfectly charming, are they not ?
I know you would like to stop and see all of them,
but you must not. Here we are at the beginning of
the ascent. See what labor was required to build
this road. Like every thing else in Europe, it is
built to last for ever — no temporary work in this
country. The mountain is steep, but the road is not,
so zig-zag and serpentine is its course. It seems
but a step from " zig" to " zag," but to follow the
road it is hundreds of yards.

And here we are at the summit, the spot from
which many a time and oft the great Galileo gazed
out upon the heavens, and viewed the caverns, cra-
ters, and volcanoes in the moon ; the place to which
Catiline fled from Rome, and fixed his habitation
for a season ; where the immortal Dante mused and
wrote poetry ; and where stood the favorite villa of
Lorenzo the Magnificent. Yes, here we are upon
classic ground, overlooking scenery that no poet can
describe, nor painter delineate. Turn and cast your
eye adown the lovely valley of the Arno. See that
beautiful stream gliding between richly-embowered
banks, and glistening in the sunlight like a thread

iial's travels. 127

of silver. Sec the thousands of white villas that
peep from out the gorgeous bowers of orange, palm,
and olive on either slope that bounds the valle}^ ;
and those terraced gardens, flowery walks, stately
avenues, and green meadows ! Can they be sur-
passed? And sec again, away bej^ond, towering
peaks of Apennine, robed in virgin snow, looking
benignly down upon the beauties at her feet, like
the lioary patriarch smiling upon his children. And
there lies the cit}' at our feet, basking in the noon-
day sun, as mild and placid as a sleeping infant.

JNTow turn your raptured gaze away over to the
east, toward the lovely Vallambrosa, in whose calm
retreats the gods did sport in* former times. Sweet
Vallambrosa, whose mja'tle groves and orange
bowers drop milk and honey ! where flowers grow,
whose lovely tints are painted by the rays of light
direct from heaven ; where crystal streams and
fountains play, and Naiads lave from morn till eve,
and shepherds pipe their silvery notes, and maidens
dance the livelong day; where fairies meet, and
sport, and dance upon the dew}^ grass where moon-
beams play ! 0 lovely valley ! How beautiful thy
groves, how green thy charming meadows, how en-
chanting thj' nooks and dells, and how sweet and
pleasant thy limpid waters ! But yet and yet, there's
something wanting. With all the gorgeous loveli-
ness and all the charms of Val de I'Arno, methinks
one look from Monte Sana's brow, or from the rugged
heights of brave old Cumberland, would be to me
more lovely still. And one sweet draught from the

128 HAL'S TRAVELS.

great fount that gushes from beneath the cliff that
overhangs the Huntsville spring, would be to me
more grateful still than waters of Hiperian springs,
of which the poets sing. And — and

Tut ! tut ! tut ! AVhere in the world am I running
to ? I did not bring you up on this mount to spout
poetically to you, but to show you the scenery.
But, my dear sir, you must excuse me. You see
my muse has been running at large for some time,
feeding and fattening in the rich ambrosial meadows
of Parnassus, and, like a colt just taken oS the grass,
it broke off into a canter before I was aware of it.
But now we Avill jog along soberly back to the city.
And now I suppose after what you have seen to-day
you are willing to admit that if Paradise was more
beautiful, our first parents did sin grievously when
they forfeited their title to it for a momentary grati-
fication of the appetite. I think so.

Next Sunday is to be a gala day here. The newly-
elected Governor, Prince Carignanie, is expected to
arrive here from Turin, and great preparations are
being made to receive him. A grand military dis-
play will take place in the Casine, where an im-
mense amphitheatre of seats is Iteing erected, and
tents or canopies of the most gorgeous description
are being put up, in one of which is a great altar,
tricked ofli" similar to those in churches. This altar
is erected for the Archbishop of Tuscany, who upon
that occasion will go through the ceremony of bless-
ing the banners and arms of Tuscany, for we do not
know what day they will have to go into battle

hal's travels. 129

against liis Higli-Mightiiicss the Pope. His Holi-
ness is mustering his forces lor the purpose of re-
covering his last temporal power in those States
which have deserted him. I presume he has blessed
his arms and banners too, which blessing, if there
be any virtue in either, is certainly better than tliat
of the Archbishop of Tuscany, as the latter holds
or obtained his authority from the former. Guess,
though, one is about as good as the other, and
equally ridiculous.

On Monday night there is to be a grand ball given
to the Prince and to the members of the House of
Delegates who chose him to reign over Tuscany.
Tlie people are quite enthused, and nothing is talked
of but the coming of Prince Carignanie, who is a
nephew of Victor Emanuel, King of Sardinia. It
is said that the ball will be a most brilliant aflair, to
come off in the palace prepared for the Prince's re-
ception.

Now to what good fortune, or to whom, your
humble correspondant is indebted for an invitation
to said ball, he knows not. Certain it is, he has got
one. Last night, while quietly seated in my room,
heels reared up on the mantel, musing and ponder-
ing upon time gone by, and joys departed, alas ! never
to return, I was roused b}^ a loud rap at my door,
when who should enter but a military-looking gen-
tleman with a shining star upon his shoulder, and
ever so many golden medals dangling about his
bosom. Chapeau in hand, he asked if 1 were " Sig-
norHal." Upon being answered in the affirmative,
5

130 iial's travels.

lie drew fortli a piece of pasteboard about four by
six inches, deposited it iu my baud, and departed
before I bad time to ask any questions, or even to
find out wbo be was. I knew it was not a chal-
lenge, or be would bave waited for an answer ; be-
sides, challenges are never printed, except in Cali-
fornia. There, I believe, they keep blank challenges
on baud ready to be filled up at a moment's notice.
After trying for some time to read the document, I
gave it up in despair. Summoned m}^ landlady and
her daughter, each of whom can speak English a
little better than I can speak Italian. By putting
our three beads together, we made out that it was an
earnest request that "Signor Hal" would make his
personal appearance at " Villa del Poggio Imperi-
ale," on the evening of the 21st inst., at a "grande
Festa di Ballo."

Upon reading this card I felt considerably lifted
up, and my landlady was in ecstasies. She regarded
it as an honor to her house, that one of her lodgers
should be invited to a ball at the Imperial Palace.
She says I must go ; but, between you and me, I am
in the condition of poor Flora McFlimsey — I 've got
" nothing to wear," Still the old lady earnestly as-
sures me that I must go, and that she will see that I
am properly rigged out. I shall certainly not buy a
suit for the occasion. If I do go, (and I think it
likely I shall,) I will write you an account of the
proceedings. How I came to get a ticket is a mys-
tery to m.e, for I know that I have acted quietly and
modestly since my sojourn in Florence. But it is

hal's travels. 131

hard for a man to hide his candle under a hushcL
Genius, like murder, Avill out.

I guess you think it about time for this document
to come to a close — that it is like the old lady's
breakfast — "plenty of it, such as it is," but not like
her breakfast in another respect, which she said was
"good enough, what there was of it." I have kept
the promise, however, that I made in the outset.

You must excuse me for neglecting to conduct
you into any of the Art Galleries or Studios to-day.
I will try to do so at some future time. We will
take a peep into the studios of Powers, Hart, and
Gault, the American Sculptors, some of these days,
when we can see busts and statues of most of the
great names of America — "Washington, Franklin,
Jefferson, Clay, Calhoun, Webster, etc., etc! In
either of them you would imagine 3-ourself much
less than five thousand miles from home.

Will sail from E^aples for Egypt about the 1st of
Januar}^ It is quite an undertaking, for the great
desert that is to be crossed is a more formidable
obstacle than the Atlantic. You shall hear from
me occasionally along the way.

Think I will spend the Christmas holidays at
Rome. Yours, etc.,

Hal.

132 hal's travels.

LETTER XV.

FLORENCE.

This is a cold raw day in Florence. Angry clouds
obscure the sun. The winds career and dash along
the streets, chilling the blood, and taking unwarrant-
able liberties with mantillas and petticoats. Pedes-
trians hurry along, closely muffled in shawls, cloaks,
and furs; and beggars are active. Your corre-
spondent is again hovering over his little fire, and
but for the consolations of his old and faithful friend,
the pipe, would be enjoying a most luxurious spell
of the blues. Thinks seriously of migrating to a
milder climate — IsTaples perhaps. Florence is too
near the snow-covered mountains for a winter resi-
dence.

I mentioned in my last letter that the Tuscan
House of Delegates had elected a Governor to reign
over them — Prince Carignanie — and that great pre-
parations were making here for his reception. He
did not come ; but a message came instead, saying
that Emperor Napoleon disapproved of the proceed-
ings, and preferred that the Tuscans should do
without a ruler until a Congress of Nations should
decide whether they should choose their own ruler,

ual's travels. 133

or the former Austrian Grand Dnkc (expelled by
the late revolution) should be thrust back upon
them I This message made the proud Florentines
bite their lips with rage and disappointment, and
many, no doubt, cursed the French Emperor in their
hearts, but gratitude for his j)ast friendship kept
them from openly denouncing the usurpation.

But notwithstanding the disappointment, the fes-
tivities which were being prepared for the Prince's
reception" were carried out. The arms and banners
of Tuscany were blessed by the Bishops, and an ad-
dress was delivered, in which it was announced that
the Tuscans would submit to no ruler, except one
of their own choosing ; that the Grand Duke should
never again enter Florence, nor should the Pope
have temporal dominion over them. This announce-
ment was received with universal applause by the
immense gathering of people — especially the troops
— the National Guard.

The grand ball did come off at "Villa de Poggio
Imperiale," and your correspondent was there ! If
my pen did not shrink abashed from the attempt, I
would try to picture to you the grandeur and beauty
— the glare and glitter — displayed on that occasion.
The palace is one of the finest in Italy ; stands upon
a beautiful eminence just one mile from the city
gate, and is approached by a broad avenue, richly
bordered with trees and flowers. On the night of
the ball, this avenue was brilliantly illuminated
with thousands of lamps, all the way from the city
to the palace. The broad front of the palace was

134 hal's travels.

studded witli various-colored lights, displaying fes-
toons, and many rich and beautiful devices. I
thought nothing could be more enchanting than
the fairy-like scene presented on approaching the
palace. But upon entering, I was struck dumb with
admiration. It was too much for a plain simple
republican, all the way from the wilds of America.
'No expense had been spared in fitting up and deco-
rating the splendid halls for the occasion. Every
thing was as fine as fine could be. And then the
magnificent costumes of the nobility were dazzling.
Nov were the gentry behind the nobility in brilliancy
of dress. In short, among the ladies, there was
nothing in dress that was not of the finest. There
were many English present, and a few Americans.
I think the finest-looking lady there was an Ameri-
can— a Miss H , of E". Y. To my taste she was

decidedly the belle of the festival. Murmurs of ad-
miration arose wherever she went. She was dressed
with more simplicity than au}^ lady there, but sim-
plicity was adornment to her. I am sorry to say
that one or two of our American ladies were so muck
dressed, that many lips were curled derisively, and
many sly nods and winks were indulged, as they
swept haughtily through the saloons.

There were from two to three thousand persons
present. The music was enchanting — but nothing
seemed more musical or delightful to me than the
conversation of the Italian ladies. The language is
soft and sweet — every word ending with a vowel —
with a stress upon the syllable that gives the word

II A L ' S TRAVELS. 135

most niiisic. Kothing can be more pleasing to the
ear than a conversation between two Italian ladies
— refined, elegant Florentine ladies. Their dancing
is graceful and beautiful; and although generally
-slender and delicate, they never seem to tire. I
think there were some who danced the entire night,
scarcely missing a set. Princess Strozzi was con-
sidered the most elegant dancer, and lookers on
were enchanted with her graceful movements, as
well as her elegant figure. As she moved through
the quadrille,

"Her feet beneath her petticoat,
Like little mice, stole iu and out,
As if they feared the light."

The dance continued until the gray streaks of
the morning were visible in the east, when all re-
tired to their homes and to their virtuous couches to
dream of beauty.

I think I mentioned to you in my last letter that
there was some doubt about my going to the ball —
that, like poor Flora McFlimsey, I had " nothing to
wear." My landlady, I think I told you, was de-
termined I should go ; that she was ambitious to have
her house represented there, and therefore under-
took the business of seeing that I was properly fitted
out for the occasion. Regarding the honor of her
establishment as being at stake, she rested not until
she borrowed a dress-coat that fitted me to a T, and
an embroidered white satin vest. Xext, she rum-
maged among drawers until she found an elegantly

136 hal's travels.

embroidered white cravat, of an antique pattern,
which had belonged to her dear, but long since de-
parted husband. A hair-dresser was sent to my
room with his instruments, (curling-tongs among
them,) with instructions to do my head up a la mode.
My landlady's daughter, too, sent me ever so many
bottles of oils and sweet-smelling essences. The
maid was sent back to the kitchen the third time
before she gave my boots a sufficient polish to please
her mistress. Finally, about thirteen minutes past
nine o'clock I was pronounced presentable, and ad-
mitted to the parlor, where the boarders were all
assembled to see me oif. My appearance was pro-
nounced unexceptionable, except that one of the
company thought my white kids a little too tight —
that they made the hands present rather a " strut-
ting" appearance. At half-past nine I set out, and a
little after ten was ushered into the great saloon of
the "Villa del Poggio Imperiale," where I trust I
did no discredit to my honorable landlady, or her
excellent house. The "Americana" has been quite
a lion in the house since the ball, and is regarded
as no small potatoes.

After all my dreams and fond anticipations, I fear
my design to go to Egypt and the Holy Land will
be frustrated; and if so, I shall lay the whole blame
at the door of that arch politician, Stephen A.
Douglas. Yes, if you do not get any letter from
your humble servant in those far-off regions, you
may blame the "Little Giant." ITow, you may
think this strange, that Douglas, five thousand miles

ual's travels. 137

away, should have any iuliueucc upon my travels.
But it is so. Not by any thing he is doing now,
but by wliat he did several years ago. If he had
not introduced the Kansas Nebraska Bill, the great
Republican party would never have had an exist-
ence. If the Black Republican party had never
come into being, there would never have been any
border warfare in Kansas. Had there never been a
border war in Kansas, Captain Brown, the notorious
" Ossawattomie," would have lived and died un-
known. Had he lived and died unknown, the
Harper's Ferry rebellion would never have oc-
curred, nor would he have been executed as
a traitor and an insurrectionist. And if that rebel-
lion and execution had never occurred, I should
have gone on my way rejoicing to Jerusalem. But,
strange to say, all these things may prevent my
going. And how? you may ask. I'll tell you.
You remember I told you in a former letter that I
was going with a part}- of Americans. It happens
that this party is composed of live Yankees, the
chief of which is one of the "immortal three thou-
sand" New England clergy. This divine and my-
self have freely and frequently discussed the slavery
question. Thought I had him almost converted
from the error of his way, until the news of the
Harper's Ferry insurrection reached us. Since that
we have had two or three stift' quarrels. He argues
for Brown, and contends that he was deranged — had
gone crazy on account of his troubles in Kansas, and
that, instead of being hung, he ought to be confined

138 HALS TRAVELS.

in an asylum. I contend he ought to be hung a little
anyhow — an hour or so — even if he is deranged,
that his execution may have a salutary effect upon
others who are verging towards the same species of
insanity. And upon one or two occasions, when
goaded pretty severely, I have insinuated that this
same parson would not have for to go to be as crazy
as old Brown. He resents the insinuation with dig-
nity, but still I have my opinion. I think the par-
son has an idea that he will go to old "Aunt Harriet
Beecher Stowe" when he dies, and this is another
source of rupture between us. So you see it is
doubtful about our agreeing well enough to make
such a long journey together. If we do not, just
lay the blame to Douglas. I must, however, do the
parson justice to say that he is a very pleasant and
agreeable man in every other respect but upon the
slavery question. We meet almost every day in the
most friendly manner, but generally part in a huff.
The rest of the party are moderate enough. There
are four ladies and four gentlemen ; three of them
are preachers.

I must relate to you a little adventure I had the
other day at my restaurant, at dinner. Sitting op-
posite me at the table was a very prim, nice-looking
Englishnian, and, what is unusual for an Englishman,
he seemed to be of amost social and lively' disposition.
Entering into conversation, I found him sprightly
and agreeable, showing by his manners and conver-
sation that he had evidently had access to good so-
ciety, and was not altogether unacquainted with

ual's travels. 130

books and newspapers ; boasted that he was a
regular reader of the London Post, the Palmerston
mouthpiece. I was pleased w^ith my new acquaint-
ance, so dilterent was lie from the great bulk of
English travellers, who, as a general thing, are
afraid to be social, fearing that they will be regarded
as common stock, or, at least, something below the
aristocracy and gentry. They go upon the principle
that "familiarity breeds contempt," and they are
perseveriugl}' resolved not to be contemptible. But
here I had found one who feared no contempt on this
score. Was extremely agreeable, but, like the rest
of his tribe, I found him pugnaciously patriotic.
"We discussed the San Juan difficulty, and other
questions likely to bring about a rupture between our
respective countries. He talked fair and reasonable
enough for an Englishman, and finally proposed
good-naturedly to bet me a bottle of wine — " spark-
ling Moselle" — that if there ever should be a war
between Uncle Sam and John Bull, the former
would come out second best; and, to show that he
was in earnest, proposed to buy the wine then and
there, with the understanding that if the fight should
ever occur, and I should lose, I should pay him two
bottles, provided wc should meet again. I agreed
to the proposition, and he bought the wine, over
which we cracked several jokes, and parted the best
of friends. I came to my room and pondered over
the matter, and came to the conclusion that I had
not done the English justice in concluding that they
were such a cold, selfish people. Since that time I

140 HAL'S TRAVELS.

have tried to find my new friend often, for I felt
anxious to perpetuate an acquaintance which pro-
mised to be so agreeable. I failed to meet with him.
I got a glimpse of him yesterday evening, however,
in the Casine, dressed in the gaudy livery of a foot-
man, behind his master's carnage !

This letter being long enough, and as dry as it is
long, I shall close it. Yours, etc.,

Hal.

hal's travels. 141

LETTER XVI.

FLORENCE TO ROME.

After haAing made up my mind to leave
Florence a week or two ago, I took occasion to
run round and take a last, long, lingering look at
many of its beauties, before doing so. I mounted
the great dome of its Cathedral, (the largest Cathe-
dral dome in the world,) and took a last look at the
city and its beautiful environs. "Went again through
the magniticent galleries of the Pitti Palace, and
through the Boboli Gardens, the splendid galleries
of Ufizzi Palace, the Palazzo Yecchio, and also
many of the noble churches. Went again to take
a farewell look at the statuary of our American
artists, Messrs. Powers, Gault, and Hart, and then
with an effort tore myself away from " Florence the
Fair."

We started on Thursda}- morning last — many
Americans of us together — about twenty-tive. The
morning was most lovely, clear, bright, and frosty ;
the air perfectly calm. The sun rose just as the
train glided out of the depot, and took its way down
the pretty valley of the Arno for Leghorn. The
tops of the mountains around us were white with

142 hal's travels.

snow, and looked most beautiful in the morning
sun. Three hours brought us to the ancient city of
Pisa, which is indeed no mean city. Here we
stopped a few hours, to see the fine Cathedral, the
Leaning Tower, and the Campo Santo, and to make
the acquaintance of one hundred and seventeen
beggars, more or less. Took the cars at two o'clock,
and in an hour more were landed at the Leghorn
depot. Ran a narrow risk of being torn into several
pieces by a horde of hack-drivers, each of whom
seemed to take a fancy to me, and desired to take
me to the wharf. Finally got to the wharf with
whole bones, and, after fighting my way through
another army of beggars, enjoying a bit of a " fist-
icuff" with a hack-driver, quarrelling with a police-
man, and bloodying the nose of a gondolier, got
safe upon the deck of a miserable little steamer
called the "Pompeii." Got aboard just in time to
prevent a "fist and skull" frolic between an Amer-
ican friend of mine and the boatman who had rowed
him from the wdiarf to the steamer. The quarrel
between them was amusing. The American was
doing his level best to curse the boatman in Italian,
and the boatman was cursing my friend in most
villainous English. These rascally hackmen, boat-
men, and porters almost invariably ask double j)rice
for what they do, unless you make a distinct bargain
with them before they perform the service.

The little steamer was packed full of passengers,
and, strange to say, there were more Americans
than any others. A strolling band of female musi-

iial's travels. 143

clans came on board and treated ns to some very
g-ood music, before we set sail ; and what was pecu-
liarly cheering to me, they performed " Old Folks
at Home," "Old Kentucky Home," and "Yankee
Doodle." This brought forth loud applause from
the American passengers, and lightened all of our
pockets to the amount of many sous.

At four o'clock the steaming apparatus was put
to work, and with its coughing, wheezing, spitting,
and snorting, we glided out of the harbor of Leg-
horn, and took our course towards Civita Vecchia,
the port nearest Eome. The 'evening was delight-
ful, the sk}' perfectly clear, and scarce a breath of
wind. The deep blue Mediterranean was almost as
calm and quiet as the limpid waters of our own
beautiful Tennessee. The sun went down into the
bosom of the sea, leaving the sk}' so beautifully
• tinged that Claude Lorraine would have jumped up
and cracked his heels together with pure delight,
could he but have been on earth to witness it.

A little after sundown the bell sounded for dinner,
when a terrific rush was made for the cabin, in
which scuffle the lady passengers were promiscuously
squeezed, and much crinoline was said to be worsted.
As 5'ou may be somewhat curious to know what
good things could induce such a rush, I will append
a bill of faro. First course : five spoonsful of hot
water, with thirteen specks of grease floating on
top, and twenty-three grains of rice at the bottom.
This, through courtesy, was called soup. Second
course : a boiled L'ish potato, about as big as a

144 hal's travels.

lump of chalk. Third course : a chicken, cut into
forty-two pieces, and some salad, which I thought
had a very fishy smell. My right-hand neighbor
said he thought it was seasoned with cod-liver oil.
Fourth course : a very small dab of spinach.
Dessert : one pear and two almonds apiece.

After dinner went out to gaze at the moon. It
was nearly full, (much nearer than we were, although
just from the dinner-table;) and so beautifully did
it shine upon the dancing water, that the scene was
enchanting. Many songs were sung ; many stories
were told ; and I am' not sure but a little courting
was done that night on the deck of that little
steamer.

At the proper hour I went down into the cabin,
to go to bed, but found all the berths taken. The
captain politely informed me that I would have to
lie upon the table. I objected to that, emphati-
cally, not wishing to be disposed of in such a sum-
mary manner. The captain assured me that if I
would sufi^er myself to be "laid upon the table," it
should not be considered a final disposition, but
that I should be " called up" at the proper time,
lie however acknowledged the reasonableness of
my objection, and kindly gave me ni}^ choice, to
either be laid upon the table or " floored." I chose
the latter, and with man}'- others spread myself
upon the floor, and enjoyed a comfortable night's
rest.

I arose the next morning with the sun, went on
deck, and got.aviewof that delectable town known

hal's travels. 145

as Civita Veccbia. It is a frightful place ; and even
now the thought of having to go through it again,
territies me. If my ink were black enough, I
would write you a description of Civita Veccbia
and its people, together with my opinion of the
Eoman la\\'s which govern it. But with ordinary
ink I could not do it justice, and will therefore let
it pass. Our boat anchored in the harbor at eight
o'clock. Our passports were sent on shore, and,
after waiting two hours, permission was given us
by the police to land. The business of landing was
tedious, as only two small boats were employed.
Finally we all got ashore, and, as usual, were set
upon by the beggars. Our baggage was thrown
pell-mell into carts, and trotted olf to the custom-
house, and we required to follow. The ceremony
of examining baggage occupied just five hours ; and
everybody who touched it had to be paid. After
hunting another hour, and walking two miles, w^e
at length found the head of the police department,
and got our passports, paying, of course, for the
vise of the chief After this, we were suffered to
go to a hotel and get our breakfast, now late in the
afternoon. About seventy-five porters demanded
pay for taking care of the baggage wiiile we ate.

Yet Civita Veccbia, with all its faults, is not
without its attractions. After breakfast, leave was
kindly given all of us who had any curiosity, to
enter the Church of the " Immaculate Conception,"
and take a look at the celebrated vnnldvrj picture, of
whicli you have no doubt heard. It is a picture of

146 hal's travels.

the Holy Virgin which adorns the altar ; and a very
pretty painting it is. The officiating priest informed
us with prodigious gravity, that in 1854 this picture
commenced winking its eyes, and continued to do
so for three months continuously; that it had
winked four times within the last month ; that it
had been eighteen days since it winked the last
time. A statement of this miracle is inscribed in
the stone wall of the church, in the form of a bull
of Pope Pius IX., ordering the name of the church
to be changed on account of it, from Santa Maria
to that of the Immaculate Conception — signed,
"Pius IX.!" Xow, if I had not seen the picture
and the inscription, and had not the priest, in his
holy robes, informed me of the fact, I doubt much
if I could ever have believed full}' in the miracle.

After leaving the church of the Immaculate Con-
ception, with its wonderful picture, we started for
the depot, all taking carriages, of course, as the dri-
vers generously offered to carry us for the small sum
of half a paul each. This was cheap enough, but
upon reaching the depot we had to pay not only the
half paul for our own ride, but a paul for each par-
ticular article of baggage, however small, besides
paying parties for carrying the trunks from the car-
riages into the depot. Finally, near five o'clock,
the whistle sounded, and we gladly bade farewell to
Civita Vecchia, and bounded off" towards Rome.
My opinion is, that the man who can get through
that seaport, and keep his temper the while, is a
philosopher, deserving more praise than was ever

iial's travels. 147

awarded to Socrates, or even poor old Job. Even
your pliilosopliic correspondent came well-nigh
falling into a passion on divers occasions while
there.

\ Two hours' run brought me to the cit}' of the
Caesars — once the mistress of the world, and the
seat of art, learning, and eloquence. Yes, by seven
o'clock we were in Rome, gazing with awe and
wonder at the scenes before us, by moonlight. And
here we have been many days, walking amid palaces,
clambering among ruins, groping among catacombs,
and seeing manv things that can be seen nowhere
but in Home. I have viewed the city and its classic
environs from the heights of Pincian Hill ; from the
Palatine and Capitoline Hills ; have stood upon the
Tarpeian Rock, and upon the towering dome of St.
Peter's ; have walked upon, around, and beneath
the great Coliseum, and have stood beneath the
oldest and grandest dome upon earth, the Pantheon.
All these things and many more have I seen, and
still, for the life of me, I cannot realize that I am in
Rome.

Here Catholicism reigns triumphant ; stalks
abroad at noonday and in the night-time, arrayed
in all its pomp and glory. Here ignorance prevails,
and superstition reigns over all. The Bible is pro-
hibited, and the people are not allowed to whisper,
or even to think that God can be approached in any
way except through the priesthood, and by doing
penance. Intelligent American people would
scarcely believe me were I to tell them but the half

148 hal's travels.

of what I hear, see, and learn every day about the
humbuggery of the Cathohc rulers, and the super-
stitions of the Eoman people. ISTothing seems too
ridiculous for them to believe. In St. Peter's
church there is a bronze statue — a hideous-looking
thing — seated upon a pedestal. The image seems
to be holding out its right foot, the toe of which all
the faithful kiss. I have seen hundreds kiss it, and
a cardinal among the number. It is said to have
been originally a statue of Jupiter, but it is now
called St. Peter. I went to the church of St. John
Lateran the other day, and in an adjoining building
I saw a staircase up which a company of people
were ascending on their knees, kissing devoutly
each step as they ascended. I asked the meaning
of this, and was told by the priest that the stairs
were brought from the Palace of Pilate, in Jeru-
salem, and were the same that our Saviour passed
over when carried before Pilate. He said that all
believers who went up these stairs on their knees,
were granted ten years indulgence for every step.
A notice upon the wall signed by the Pope (Gregory,
as well as I remember) confirmed what the priest
said. In this same building are preserved a great
many valuable relics : the curbing which sur-
rounded the well where Christ talked with the wo-
man of Samaria ; a stone table with a hole through
it, which we are seriously told was made by a wafer
being dropped upon it by a doubting priest, who,
while administering the holy sacrament, doubted for
a moment that the wafer was really the flesh of tlie

\ II AL'S TRAVELS. 149

Saviour ! But as I was only in this room for a mo-
ment, (it being closing time,) I will wait until I visit
it again before I tell yon of the hundreds of relics
there to be seen. The staircase mentioned above
is the same that Martin Luther, the great reformer,
was going up when he was converted from the error
of his way, and renounced Catholicism for ever.

In the church of Ara Coeli is another wonderful
thing. It is a wooden figure of a baby, called the
infant Saviour, said to have been carved by a Fran-
ciscan pilgrim, out of a tree from the Mount of
Olives, and painted by St. Luke. To touch this
image is said to be wonderfully efficacious in the
curing of diseases, and is a sure preventive of ac-
cident, both by sea and land. If it does possess this
virtue, I am safe, for I have touched it. It is rigged
out in the most gorgeous style, wonderfully rich in
jewels, which bespangle it from head to foot — pre-
sents from the wealthy whom it has relieved in sick-
ness. No Roman lady of quality ever goes to the
"straw" without having this image present, which
is said to insure a safe delivery. The priest whose
duty it is to take care of this miraculous baby, told
us that there was never a day tiiat it was not carried
out to attend the sick. It has a coach of its own to
ride in. In the church are a great many paintings,
representing the accidents which the touching of
this figure will prevent, such as horses running away,
coaches overturned, shipwrecks, persons fulling
down stairs, fulling scafiblds, assassinations, and

150 HAL'S TRAVELS.

hundreds of other accidents to which man is liahle.
This baby is a great source of revenue to the church,
for besides the fees paid for its going out to the sick,
all to whom it is exhibited are expected to pay the
priest something. All the peasant women in the
country have the privilege of bringing their children
to touch it once a year gratis, at its festival, the
Epiphany. There is a cross in the church, that by
kissing, one is allowed seven years' indulgence.
Some of the other churches offer still greater induce-
ments to worshippers. These are but a thousandth
part of the absurdities here practiced and sanctioned
by the Pope.

There is one place here, however, that I visited
with feelings of reverence — the house in which St.
Paul lived when here. You will remember that he
rented a house and lived here two years, and
preached the gospel to all who came to him. The
floor of the house is now several feet below the sur-
face of the ground, but the old walls remain perfect.
The door has been walled up for many centuries,
and we now reach it by descending a flight of steps
leading from the vestibule of the church of Santa
Maria in Via Lata. The identity of this house is
one of the Roman traditions that I can believe, be-
cause it is reasonable to suppose that the Christians
who have lived here ever since the days of St. Paul
would never have lost sight of the house in which
he lived and preached to them. Besides, there are
other houses standing here that were built, perhaps,

iial's travels. 151

long before it was. The Panthcou, for instance,
almost perfect, was built many years before Christ
was npon earth.

While standing in that little room, and thinking
of the thrilling eloquence of the apostle which its
walls had echoed a thousand times — of the humble
simplicity of his teachings and manner of his life —
and contrasting them with the present pomp of those
who here profess to be his followers, I could not
but think what wonderful strides the Christian re-
ligion had made since his day ! If Popery and the
manner of Catholic worship be right, the Apostle
Paul must have been a stupid old fogy. I take it
that he was a sort of Methodist preacher, and in-
structed all who came to him in a plain simple way,
ex^Vounding the Scriptures in such a manner that
all who desired to do so could understand and be-
lieve. Don't think he ever rode in a gilded carriage,
or wore a crown with diamonds in it. Nor do I
believe that he would have suffered men to kneel to
liim and to worship him in the street — he or the
Apostle Peter either — without rebuking them. But
this onl)'- shows that they Avere behind the times.
Their successor, the Pope, dresses in purple and fine
linen, wears a golden crown, rides in a gilded car-
riage with a numerous body-guard, and expects the
people to kneel to him when he passes along the street
— and thousands do it. This is the difference be-
tween the Pope and his predecessors. His Holiness
is evidently aware of the old-fogyism of the Apostle
Paul, and hence denies his people the privilege of

152 hal's travels.

learning any tiling about his precepts. When the
apostle left Rome and went over to Ephesus, after
having established a good large congregation here,
he wrote them a long pastoral letter, full of instruc-
tion, and which he no doubt thought would be edi-
fying to them. He wrote it in simple language,
that they might the more readily understand it.
Now this letter the Pope utterly forbids his people
to read, although written * directly to them. The
book containing this letter is not allowed to remain
in the hands of any of them. It is banished from
the empire, and no man is allowed to bring it here.
(See Paul's Epistle to the Romans.)

A few days ago I visited the Mamertine Prison,
where the Apostles Paul and Peter were confined as
prisoners before their execution. It is a dismal dun-
geon at the foot of the Capitoline Hill. It is the
same in which Jugurtha was starved to death, and
where many of the Catiline conspirators were con-
fined. In the floor of this prison is a well of clear
pure water, w^hich is said to have miraculously sprung
up to afford water for Paul to baptize the keepers
of the prison who were converted under his influ-
ence. I drank water from this well. On the side
of the wall by the steps of this dungeon is a print
of a man's face in the stone. The keeper informed
us that it was made by St. Peter's face being knocked
against the wall by one of the jailers. The impres-
sion is as distinct as if it had been done with a ham-
mer and chisel. It is protected by an iron grating.

In the church of St. John Lateran we were shown

HAL'S TRAVELS. 153

tlie identical tabic on which Christ and his disciples
ate the Last Supper. It is preserved in a glass case.

There are three hundred churches in Rome, and
I believe all of them possess a piece of the true
cross, and most of them a thorn from the crown of
thorns. I am told, but have not seen it, that one of
them possesses a bottle of milk from the breast of
the Virgin Mary ! This is no joke. I have it from
the very best authority.

Perhaps you Avould like me to tell something
about the great St. Peter's church. All that I can
say is that it is indescribable. Its interior exceeds
any thing I had ever dreamed of Its size does not
exceed its beauty. It would take a much greater
mind than I possess even to conceive any thing half
so magnificent. It is truly the world's wonder. I
have heard it said that it cost one hundred and (huii/-
scven millions of dollars! And, think of it! all this
money raised by the sale of indulgences ! What a
stupendous swindle !

I have visited the galleries of the Vatican, said to
be among the richest in the world ; and while there
saw the modus operandi of manufacturing mosaics,
but did not hear the Vatican thunder "nary" time.
From the best information I can get, the Vatican
contains over six thousand rooms ! It is said to
cover forty acres !

I shall not attempt to tell you in this letter any
thing about the ruins or environs of Rome. I have
much to see yet, and may write you again before
leaving here. Shall remain here until after Christ-

154 hal's travels.

mas, and then go to E'aples. There are many Amer-
icans in Rome, several of whom are going to Egypt
and Jerusalem.

I am glad to inform you that the bells are not
rung here half as much as in Florence.

If this letter is too long, you must blame the ele-
ments, not me, for if the rain had not kept me in
the house to-day, I should not have written.

When the weather gets better I am going out to
Appii Forum, and the Three Taverns, where the
brethren went out to meet the Apostle Paul when
he was coming to E-ome. The meeting was very
gratifjdng to the apostle, and he " thanked God and
took courage." It is about three hours travel from
here to the Three Taverns.

Peace be with you and all my friends.

Farewell. Hal.

HAL'S TRAVELS. 15^

LETTER XVII.

ROME.

I HAVE now been in Eorac bard upon tbree weeks,
nnd tbe time of my departure draws near. My duds
arc packed, and my passport vised for Naples, and
to-morrow morning I sball take my course along
tbe Appian "Way for that fair city. I sball remain
tbere long enougb to see Naples and its neigbbor-
ing lions, and tbcn, Ho for tbe Scripture lands of
Egypt and Palestine ! I bave a longing desire to
look upon tbose bolj^ scenes of wbicb we read in
Scripture, before my final departure from tbis " low
ground of sorrow."

My sojourn in Eome bas been exceedingly plea-
sant, and I leave it witb regret, for I bave not seen
one balf of tbe places and tbiugs of interest bere
and bereabouts. To see Rome as it ougbt to bo
seen and studied would require montbs. Sigbt-
seeing is very mucb like work, and he who follows
it well is apt to sleep well of nights. I do. Tbe
enjoyment I bave bad bere bas been greatly height-
ened by an elderly gentleman who almost invari-
ably accompanies me in my excursions. He is au
original, and I cultivate him to the best of my
ability. Will give yoU' a little sketch of him : He is

156 hal's travels.

perhaps fifty-five or sixty years of age, but hale and
active as a boy ; has a great deal more money than
classical information, and knows more about " per
cent." than the fine arts ; has recently married him
a young wife, and is in Europe on a bridal tour. His
wife being young, and very gay, prefers company of
her own age and temper to that of her gray-headed
lord. She will drive round the city with the dash-
ing Captain Sucker, or the witty Major Squirt, while
her antiquated worser-half contents himself to foot
it with me. He good-naturedly lets her have her
own way, and lets her have as much pin-money as
she wants, which is no trifle, I assure you. She is
having two portraits of herself painted by the best
masters of Rome, and her bust in marble, made by
the greatest sculptor, besides a great number of ca-
meo profiles. She objects to the old gentleman
having his portrait painted, saying that none but
classical faces should be put upon canvas. He
meekly obeys her wishes. Dealers in pearls, dia-
monds, and other fancy articles, will be sorry when
she leaves Rome.

Sometimes Mr. Smith (that is my old friend's
name) and m}. self wander through long galleries of
paintings and statuary, and it is not a little refresh-
ing to hear the comments of the old gentleman upon
celebrated works of art. The nude appearance of
the figures shocks him greatly, and he is not back-
ward in expressing his contempt for the vulgar taste
of the Romans. Upon viewing a statue of Venus,
a work of great celebrity, he- thought the man who

HAL'S TRAVELS. 157

made it might bave been much better employed.
He was much surprised to see what he termed " de-
cent-looking men and women" walking about
through the gallery looking at the naked figures
together. Said such things would not be allowed
where he came from. Upon seeing a bronze figure
of Pan, he was indignant. Said that was "run-
ning the thing into the ground," to make a statue
half man and half beast. We went one day to see
the Dying Gladiator, a Grecian work of art "much
prized by the Romans. Said he thought most any
stone-cutter might hew out as good a thing as that.
Upon looking at the celebrated painting of the
Transfiguration, by Raphael, said he thought it a
" tolerable good photograph, but not better than Zeph
Jones could draw." Told me that Zeph Jones had
painted the pictures of his two daughters at home,
which were " as like as could be." "We went one
day to see the ruins of Nero's Palace. He seemed
much interested in the exploration, and asked me
who Nero was. Told him that Nero, according to
tlie best information I could get, was & fiddler who
used to play for the Roman Senators to dance. He
said Nero must have been a very rich man for a
fiddler ! Wlien walking through St. Peter's upon
one occasion, the old gentleman seemed to be deeply
absorbed — dumfouuded, in fact — and stood gazing
up with his mouth and eyes wide open. I asked,
"What do you think of this establishment, Mr.
Smith ?" After shaking his head, looking wise,
and pausing for about two minutes, he replied, " I

158 hal's travels.

think tlie man wlio got this np must have had con-
siderable gumption !" I thought so too. He don't
see what " earthly use" the numerous pillars and
columns are that stand in various parts of the city,
" with outlandish names on them." In answer to
my question as to his opinion of the Coliseum, said
he thought it a great waste of money to build such
a thing. Two or three daj's ago the old gentleman
expressed a desire to see the holy staircase up
which the faithful Catholics crawl upon their knees.
We went to it, and, as usual, found many going up —
ragged peasants, and ladies in silks and huge crino-
lines, going up side by side, all alike devoutly kiss-
ing the steps as they ascended. A mischievous lady
of our party bantered my old friend, saying she
would go up if he would, whereupon, to my utter
astonishment, both started. But, unlike the devout
worshippers, they did not pause upon each step to
repeat a prayer, but rushed on as rapidly as they
could go. In his anxiety to pass some that were
ahead of him, the old man unwittingly placed his
knee upon the crinoline of a devout Catholic lady
just as she was raising her knee to make another
step, which caused a tearing or breaking loose some-
where about her skirts. She looked daggers at him,
whereupon he quailed, and turned to descend on his
feet. This the attendant priest forbade, (the stairs
are considered too holy to be profaned with the feet,)
when he turned again and finished the ascent slowly
on his knees. He says it was very hard work.
So you see upon the whole I have had a good

hal's travels. 159

time with Mr. Smith, and I hate to leave Rome, on
his account, as much as any thing else.
. Among the other lions of Rome, I have seen his
Holiness the Pope, on various occasions. The first
time I saw him was last Sunday week. I '11 tell
you how it came ahout. I had understood the old
gentleman was to officiate at High Mass, in the Six-
tine Chapel, connected with the Vatican Palace.
At the proper hour I went over and stood in the
long gallery, to watch the assembling of the cardi-
nals, all of whom came in splendid gilded carriages,
each with three footmen and a driver. When they
had entered, I followed them up the long stairway that
leads to the chapel, between files of soldiers, having
been first divested of my shawl, by a guard, at the
foot of the stairs. On reaching the door at the chapel,
I was stopped by two soldiers, and informed that I
could not enter without a dress-coat. I thought it
hard, but of course had to submit. Going down
not in the best humor, I gathered up my shawl to
start back to my hotel. The guard, seeing the cause
of my discomfiture, proposed to remedy it, and fix
me for my appearance before his Holiness, if I
would give him a paul, (a dime.) I gave him the
paul ; whereupon he proceeded to pin up my skirts
so as to give me the appearance of having on a
dress-coat. Thus fixed, I again ascended the stairs,
and marched boldly in, just in time to hear the
opening chant, which was as fine, if not the finest
music I ever heard. Just after my entrance, his
High-mightiness came in by a side door, accompa-

160 hal's .teavels.

niecl by officials, four of whom were required to
carry his trail. 1 was much pleased with the bland
smile that rested upon his face. There seemed to
be no lurking devil there. He took his seat, and
his attendants busied themselves Avonderfully in
arranging his robes. Two cardinals then lifted the
hat from the Pope's head ; two others got upon
their knees before him, and held up a large book,
while another held a lighted candle before the
pages for him to read. He read in a clear, loud
voice. Then rose to his feet, when all the rest
knelt down. He waved his hand, like sowing oats, to
indicate that he was scattering blessings upon the
kneeling multitude. After that, a velvet cushion, with
gold fringe, was brought in by two cardinals, upon
which the Pope knelt, being assisted both to get
down and to rise, by his attendants. During the
service, a file of soldiers stood upon each side of
the aisle, from the door nearly back to the high
altar, armed with spears and battle-axes.

The exhibition at St. Peter's, on Sunday, (Christ-
mas day,) was splendid. I never before saw any
display half so gorgeous. My friend Smith and
myself concluded to take a carriage and ride over,
(the Madam having engaged to go with Major
Squirt.) After starting, we were informed that the
hour for the cardinals to proceed to the church had
arrived, and that we could not cross the bridge over
the Tiber until their carriages had passed. We
therefore had to make a circuit of a mile to cross
at another bridge. My old friend was wrathy, and

iial's travels. IGl

boldly insinuated that if lie ever caught one of the
d — d stuck-up cardinals in Boston, he'd make him
shake for his presumption.

We arrived at St. Peter's in time to see most of
the cardinals arrive into the square before the
church. It was a brilliant display. They came iu
their holida}^ coaches, which were gilded all over,
and looked almost like they were made up of solid
gold. A carriage a little less brilliant followed each
of the cardinals, with his chaplain. The three
servants that stood behind each of these carriages
were rigged out in a style that would have made
the most gaudily-dressed monkey envious. Regi-
ments of French soldiers were on duty in front of
the church, and scores of mounted police were gal-
loping about in various directions. Upon entering
the church, we walked between lines of soldiers
extending a hundred yards from the door towards the
interior. There were, perhaps, a thousand of them,
equipped in a far finer style than I ever saw soldiers
before. People poured into the building almost in
one solid mass for nearly an hour, and yet it was
not filled ! And with all that great crowd there
was nothing like confusion. I was fortunate enough
to get a good position near the altar, which I kept
throughout the proceedings. At half-past ten
o'clock cannons were fired from Castle Angclo,
and then the Pope made his entree, seated in a
chair, upon a platform borne upon the shoulders of
twelve cardinals, Avhile eight others supported a
golden-fringed canopy over his head. They marched
6

162 HAL'S TRAVELS.

slowly from the door to the high altar, the holy father
smiling and scattering blessings upon the people as
he went. I was within a few feet of him when he
passed, and was leaning against the railing of the
altar while he performed the ceremonies of consecrat-
ing the bread and wine, etc., etc. So you see I had
ample opportunity to scan his countenance. I really
fell in love with him. To my liking, Pope Pius has the
best face I ever saw. He looks really motherly. But he
is clay in the hands of the potter : a good man, per-
haps ; but in the hands of villains, of whom Cardinal
Antonelli is chief. The performance was similar to
the one I had seen the Sunday before, except there
was more display. The robes of the Pope and the
cardinals were as rich as it is possible to make such
things. The entire furniture of the altar was gold,
studded with jewels.

There is certainly no estimating the wealth of
the Catholic Church. The man who has rolled in
wealth and played with jewels all his life, in our
republican country, will be overwhelmed with
astonishment upon coming to Eome. At the con-
clusion of the Christmas service in St. Peter's, the
Pope was carried out as he was brought in, and the
multitude dispersed to other churches ; for scenes
of interest were kept up throughout the day at
different places of worship.

Ko good Catholic is supposed to have slept any
in Rome on Christmas eve night. The bells were
ringing throughout the night, and exhibitions of
some sort kept up at the principal churches. There

iial's travels. 163

seems to be a sort of puppet-show rivalry between
the churches here, to see which can drriw the great-
est congregations. The}" pubHsh programmes, and
invite the public to come and see their relics, etc.,
etc. For instance, the Church of St. Marcellus
advertised, on Saturday, that they would get up a
grand illumination that night, and regale the public
Avitli splendid music. Santa Maria Maggiore gave
notice that at three o'clock in the morning they
would have an illumination, and would exhibit to
the public the identical manger in which the infant
Saviour was laid in Bethlehem; also a portrait of
the Hoh' Virgin, painted by St. Luke. San Carlo
announced a splendid wax-work representation of
the Holy Virgin and infant Saviour in the stable
with the cattle at Bethlehem. Ara Coela gave
notice that the Bambino, the miraculous wooden
baby which heals diseases and prevents accidents,
would be on exhibition throughout the night. One
of the churches — I do not remember which — was
to exhibit the identical swaddling-clothes in which
the Saviour was wrapped at his birth. At St. John
Latcran the heads of the Apostles Paul and Peter
were on exhibition. They are still exposed to the
public view. jSIany other things were to be done
at other churches.

The San Marcellus being convenient, I concluded
to patronize it. Went and stayed till one o'clock,
and was horribl}'^ bored. Came home, and went to
bed. The Santa Maria Maggiore failing to draw a
crowd to witness their exhibition at three o'clock

164 HAL'S TRAVELS.

in the morning, consented, "by earnest request,"
to repeat their performance at three o'clock Sunday
evening. I went. The building is only second to
St. Peter's in gorgeousness, and perhaps third in
size. It is very large. I presume there were from one
thousand to fifteen hundred tallow candles burning;
but the illumination was dim. They had darkened
the windows hardly enough to make the illumina-
tion visible. I got a look at the manger, which is
preserved in a glass case. The portrait of the Holy
Virgin, painted by St. Luke, is so dim that I could
make nothing of it. This church is highly esti-
mated in Rome, on account of the miraculous cir-
cumstance that caused it to be erected. It is said
that a snow-storm once fell on the spot where it
stands, and nowhere else in the city. The patch
of snow that fell was just in the shape of a church ;
whereupon its erection was commenced imme-
diately. There is a painting in the church repre-
senting the workmen raking away the snow, to lay
the foundation.

The Bambino at the Ara Ccela Church is on ex-
hibition again to-day, and people are allowed to
touch it gratis. ^

I went to the church and catacombs of the Ca-
puchins, the other day, and there saw the bones of
perhaps a hundred thousand men — thirty or forty
wagon-loads of them. They are stacked in arches,
and displayed in a thousand fantastic forms. Some
skeletons are dressed in the monkish clothes they
wore while living, and look hideous. Others are

ual's travels. 165

dressed and laid in state, seeming to have been pre-
served, by some means, from decay. They have
dried, like a piece of beef. The walls are covered
with festoons and rosettes, and other figures, made
with bones ; and the dismal abode is lighted by
lanterns, curiously made by stringing bones toge-
ther. "Within this charnel-house there is an altar,
at which ever}- one who kneels is granted nine
years' indulgence ; that is, the}' will be released
from purgatory nine years sooner than they would
otherwise be. None of our party -availed themselves
of the liberal ofler.

"We made an excursion out on the Appian Way,
the other day, and, among other things of interest,
saw the catacombs of St. Sebastian, an extensive
subterranean passage where the Christians formerly
worshipped, and where their bodies were deposited
during the time of their persecution by the Romans.
In the church built over the entrance to these cata-
combs, we saw, among other relics, one of the
arrows with which the martyr St. Sebastian was
shot,' and the post to which he was tied. Their
most highly-prized relic, however, is a stone in
which are imprinted the tracks of our Saviour,
made when he met St. Peter running aAvay from
Rome. The story is, that when the apostle was im-
prisoned in Rome, he broke his prison, and escaped,
one night. He by some means got out of the city
gate, and started to make his escape along the
Appian Way. At the spot where now stands this
church, he was met by the Saviour, and told that

166 HAL'S TRAVELS.

he must return to Rome, and be crucified. He did
so ; and when the Lord departed, he left his tracks
deeply imprinted in the stone on which he stood.
They are about one inch deep. The priest showed
us the stone and told us the story with the candor
and simplicity of a child.

If I were to tell you of all the relics I have seen,
you would grow tired of reading. It is as strange as
it is true, that men who have ideas above the brute,
can believe in such absurd things. If I had come
to Rome a Catholic, I should leave it something
else. The ignorance of the people is certainly the
secret of the success of Catholicism, There is a
church near my hotel, at the door of which the wind
is said to be always blowing. A story is told, that
the devil and the wind were once promenading the
streets together, when, coming to that church, the
devil requested the wind to stop at the door, while
he went in to worship. He has never come out,
and the wind still waits at the door for him. The
ignorant people of the neighborhood cannot be in-
duced to go into the church, except when a priest
is present. They firmly believe that the devil is in
it. Another superstition is, that the ghost of Nero
still walks on Pincian Hill at night, and no one
will go up there after nightfall.

A large party of our American friends were pre-
sented to the Pope, a few days ago, by Mr. Stock-
ton, United States Minister. Friend Smith and
myself, with several others, were on a country ex-
cursion at the time, and failed to be presented.

iial's tkavels. 167

Don't know, however, that we lost a great deal by
it. Mr. S. thinks we were fortunate. Those who
were presented seemed to be much pleased with the
manner in which they were received. Some kissed
the hand of his Holiness, and some didn't. Ho
made a pretty little talk to them. Expressed a
great admiration for Americans. Said it was a
great country, in one sense of the word, but could
never become truly great until the true faith was
adopted tlierc. He hoped the day would soon come
when such should be the case.

Now, if Ital}- — especially the Roman States — is a
fair specimen of the "true greatness" that follows
the adoption of the "true faith," I trust it will for
ever be excluded from our beloved country. It is a
most horrid thing. You have but little idea of the
poverty, misery, and wretchedness of this country.
All the wealth is in the hands of the Church, and,
while the thousands of priests and other officials live
in luxury, the common people are poor and miserable
beyond conception. Were it not for the strangers
who visit here, from whom tlicy beg a pittance,
many would starve. There is nothing here to give
the people employment. I am told that throughout
the entire Roman dominions there is not a solitary
cotton or woollen manufactory, nor any other kind
of manufactory worthy of the name. The streets
are full of poor ragged wretches, who would work
no doubt if they had any thing to do. They are
compelled to beg, to keep soul and bod}- together.

168 HAL'S TRAVELS.

The French soldiers who are stationed here, divide
their rations with the miserable creatures.

And this is the "true greatness" his Holiness in-
vites us to ! God forbid that America should ever
accept the invitation !

Much fear of a revolution is felt here. Com-
paratively few strangers are here now, on that ac-
count. The people of the middle classes are very
restive, and the slightest provocation would cause a
rising of the masses. If the French troops were
withdrawn, it is said the Vatican would be invaded
in less than two hours, and certain reforms de-
manded of his Holiness, the refusal of which would
cost him his head. With all his pomp and display,
the Pope is sitting upon the brink of a volcano — and
he knows it. A few days ago, in one of the coffee-
houses here, the portrait of the Pope was taken
down, and that of Victor Emanuel put up in its stead.
One of the Imperial police ordered the picture taken
down immediately, whereupon the coffee-house
keeper politely requested the policeman to go to the
d — 1. For such an act twelve months ago, the per-
petrator would have been hurried off to prison and
never heard of any more. JSTow, they dare not ar-
rest him, for fear of a popular outbreak.

I suppose this letter is nearly long enough. I
have written rather at random, not having time to
take pains, because there is so much to be seen.
You see I have omitted the usual "rigmarole" of
letter-writers, about the ruins, galleries, etc., etc.,
because what I could write on those subjects would

ual's travels. 169

be but a rehash of what you have read in books and
newspapers from your youth up. I can say to you,
however, that I have seen those things and enjoyed
them extensively. To-day I stood by Pompey's
statue, at the foot of which "Great Cjfisar fell." A
red place is on the leg and foot of the statue, which
"they say" is the blood of Capsar. That is like
other Roman traditions.

I wrote the foregoing last night. Did not get oft'
to Naples this morning. We have understood that
the road is infested with banditti, and our little
party have determined to go by sea. "Will remain
here three days longer, and then take ship at that
delightful city of Civita Vecchia. I am happy to
inform you that my elderly friend Smith is going
with us. I shall try to persuade him to go to Egypt.
He says he is afraid if he stays in Rome his wife
will break him by having "photographs" of herself
painted.

Upon reaching Naples, the first place I go to shall
be Mt. Vesuvius, for, as Pat said of the oyster, I
shall "be afther looking into the cratur" after which
I will drop you a line. Till then, farewell.

Hal.

170 hal's travels,

LETTER XVIII.

ROME.

I VEBiLY believe that the most sedate donkey in
all Italy (donkeys are the gravest of creatures in
this country) would lose his gravity and compromise
his dignity, in the presence of my good old friend
Smith. I had made up my mind to write you a
very grave letter to-night, and had actually com-
menced one in the most dolorous strain, about the
wails and sobs of the dying year — this being about
the last hour of the last day of the last week of the
last month of the good old year 1859. Yes, I had
conjured up some wise sayings for the occasion, and
was just on the point of spreading myself on this
most fruitful theme for would-be pathetic writers,
when lo ! Avho should enter but my venerable friend
Smith, looking as much like the ghost of the de-
parting year as it is possible for man to look. His
jaw was hanging low, and sadness peered from be-
neath his shaggy brows. Deep trouble — almost de-
spair— sat upon every lineament of his rubicund face.
His usual sprightliness was gone, and I fancied that
the crows-feet in the corners of his eyes were more
deeply marked than I had ever seen them. Know-

HAL'S TRAVELS. 171

lug Smitli as I have previously known him — alwaj's
lively and in the best humor in the world — his
seriousness only appeared to me in a comic light,
and I could not resist the inclination to laugh right
out. He was greatly surprised at my rude merri-
ment, and the surprise, added to Lis woe-begone look,
redoubled the comicality of the scene, and I laughed
the more. Burton would give all he's worth to be
able to put on such a face.

The old gentleman was in trouble, and had come
in to unburden himself to me. His handsome young
wife was in a pet. He said she was in one of her
"tantrums," and had " her back up" furiously ; that
she had been for f(3ur hours engaged, with the as-
sistance of two maids, in packing her trunks for a
start to Naples to-morrow morning, and that they
were but little nearer packed now than they were
four hours ago ; he had offered to assist her, but
she spurned the offer, and had actually called him
an "old fool," which he said was very near correct.
Upon his attempting to pacif}" her, she peremptorily
ordered liim out of the room. All this he told me
"with a burst of confidence," but palliated her
oifence by saying that she was a "dear good crea-
ture" when in a good humor. He thinks that she
only lacks a little age and experience, which time
will remedy. There was another source of griev-
ance. The old gentleman had gone to a barber-
shop to have his hair trimmed, late this evening.
Not being able to speak Italian, he measured on his
finger, and showed the barber how much he wanted

172 hal's travels.

taken off", (about half an inch.) The barber, not fully
comprehending his instructions, instead of cutting
olF half an inch, cut it off to within half an inch of
the scalp. He took off his hat to show me how the
villainous barber had served him, and I laughed
immoderately — could n't help it — at the grotesque
spectacle. His hair is of an iron-gray color, and
very coarse, and each particular hair bristled straight
out. Who could help laughing? But the deep sigh
of the old man brought me back to my senses, and
I sighed with him — especially when I thought of
his domestic troubles.

I spoke of these troubles as little petty annoy-
ances to which every man was liable, and then did
what I could to lead the mind of Mr. Smith to other
things, which was not hard to do. "We talked about
what we had seen in Rome, and how we had en-
joyed our sojourn and our many pleasant strolls
among the ruins, and the great and splendid
churches. He soon forgot the "tantrums" of Mrs.
S., and actually laughed heartily at some of his own
jokes, (he is fond of getting off jokes,) one of
which I thought pretty good. We to-day visited
the church of the Jesuits, to witness the closing
ceremonies of the Christmas holidays. It is a rich
church, and I asked him what he thought of it?
Said he thought it "the best organized" church we
had seen in Eome. It contains five organs. That
was the best witticism I ever knew Smith to get off.
After getting in a thorough good humor, he pro-
ceeded to empty his huge overcoat pocket of twenty

iial's travels. 173

or thirty pieces of marble and brick upon my table,
saying that he wanted to show me some fine speci-
mens he had picked up in his rambles, (for, like
everybody else, he gathers relics.) I asked him if
he knew where they all came from. Said he knew
where some of them came from. Took up a beau-
tiful piece of porphyry and asked where he got it.
Did n't know. Asked him where a pretty piece of
marble came from. Said he thought he got that
from the tomb of the African we had visited a day
or two ago. (He meant the tomb of Scipio Afri-
canus.) Asked him where he got the piece of brick.
Did not exactly remember the name of the place,
but knew very well where it was : that great circular
concern that stands just beyond the Forum — (the
Coliseum.) As to the rest of his specimens, he
knew not where they were from. All he cared for,
he said, was to know that he had got them in Rome.
I thought there was something even in that.

After a chat of nearly two hours over our adven-
tures in Rome, and our anticipated adventures in
]^aples, speculating upon the weather, and the pros-
pect of a smooth sea to sail over to-morrow, my
venerable friend gathered up his rocks and departed
for his own room, saying, as a shade of melancholy
passed over his face, that he hoped the madam had
finished packing. Poor Smith ! A kinder-hearted
man never trod the earth, but I fear he will never
again know any thing of conjugal happiness. He
is a good man, and, although he may not know how
to keep a hotel, he is worthy of a better wife than

174 iial's travels.

the young giddy thing to whom he is yoked. May
she grow wiser and better !

I am again packed for I^aples, and shall be off to-
morrow morning by rail for Civita Vecchia, where I
shall again embark upon the deep blue sea. Since
my last letter I have been employed in walking about
the city, revisiting noted localities that I had seen
before, and watching the gayety of the Romans, who
have seemed to enjoy the Christmas holidays to the
fullest extent. The soldiers, the priests, and the po-
lice put on clean shirts the first of the week, and
have looked much more decent than usual. Even
the monks (the privileged loafers of Rome) seemed
to have scraped some of the grease and dirt from
their filthy roljes and frightful hoods, and have act-
ually tried to look respectable ; and the beggars have
looked smart and good-humored all the week, and
have been more exorbitant in their demands than
before. Usually they only ask for " Mezzo biocho,"
(half a cent,) but this week they have confidently
demanded a whole biocho. The principal churches
have been all aglow since Sunday last, and most of
their relics have been on public exhibition. The
wonderful Bambino, the miraculous wooden baby,
has been shown every day, gratis, and the peasantry
have flocked to see it by thousands. Many have
been permitted to touch the sacred thing, and now
no doubt feel secure against all accident or misfor-
tune.

I have paid my last visit to the Pantheon, the
great structure which has stood whole and perfect

• ual's travels. 175

tlu'ougliout so many ages. It was built maii}^ years
before the birth of our Saviour, and now looks like
it might weather a thousand more stormy winters.
Its dome is the largest in the world. I have also
seen for the last time the great wonder of the world,
St. Peter's, the Coliseum, the Roman Forum and
its very interesting surroundings, the ruins of the
palace of the Csesars, the Caraculla Baths, and the
Arches of Septimus Severus and Titus, both of
which have stood much longer than the Pantheon.
Have again been in the house of the Apostle Paul,
and in his prison. To all these things I have bid fare-
well, sorry that I cannot remain longer in Rome to
see and learn more of its antiquities.

At half-past two o'clock to-day I went to the
church of the Jesuits to hear the grand Te Deum,
which closes the holidays. The music was heavenly.
The proceedings were pretty much the . same that I
saw in St. Peter's on Christmas day, except that the
Pope was not brought in on the platform with the
canopy over his head, and the peacock-tails beside
him. The old man walked in this time. He was
brought to the church from his palace in a coach
that looked like it might have been made of beaten
gold, drawn by four black horses, followed by the
coaches of his cardinals, and guarded by a regiment
of soldiers. I thought it strange that the great in-
fallible vicar of God should have to be thus guarded
by the puny arm of man, not only in the street, but
in the sanctuary ! But hark ! The clock is now
striking twelve. The old year is bringing his last

176 iial's travels.

gasp. . . . The clock has ceased ! 1859 is no
more ! Rolled up as a worn garment, and laid away,
to be brought forth no more till the great resurrec-
tion, when all things, both new and old, shall ap-
pear ! The new year is before us, and it is meet
that we enter upon it with clean hands ; and that
your correspondent may do his duty in that respect,
he will cease scribbling for to-night, and go to bed,
with a promise to write from Naples.

Yours, as ever, Hal.

hal's travels. 17T

LETTER XIX.

ROMETONAPLES.

In company -vvitli many others, I left the "Eternal
City" the morning of the first instant. Friend
Smith and the Madam were along. She was all
smiles, and he was in raptures. He told me in the
most confident manner that Jie really thought her
"the dearest thing in the world;" that she had
actually kissed him, the night previous, to heal his
wounded feelings. The kiss melted him ; and on
the spot he promised her a splendid set of corals,
as soon as they reached Naples. Said she had pro-
mised never to call him an " old fool" again. Smith
believes her, and is happy. May his happiness
continue !

Two hours' ride on the rail brought us to that
delectable sea-port mentioned in a previous letter —
Civita Vecehia. The usual number of beggars and
porters set upon us ; but, being strong-handed, we
fought them off'. Smith broke his umbrella over
the head of a big, greasy, red-capped fellow, and
then fell into a cursing fit, which lasted for half an
hour. After wandering over the town for an hour,
we at length found the proper place — a filthy little

178 HAL'S TRAVELS.

den — to get onr passports vised; wliich done, we
made a vigorous charge, routed the enemy, and got
to the wharf, and from there to the fine steamer
Capitol, whicli lay in the bay. Steamed out of the
bay at four o'clock, and took our course towards
Naples. The sky was clear, the air was balmy, and
the deep blue Mediterranean as calm and placid as
a sleeping infant ; and to add to the pleasure of a
night voyage, the "bright silver moon" was again
abroad in the heavens. A little after sunrise on the
following morning we entered the world-renowned
bay of ]!^aples. As everybody who visits Naples
has something to say about the beauty of its bay,
the city and its environs, you will excuse me for
omitting that part of the ceremonj^ ; only I will
say that if any one should tell you that the pano-
rama presented is not perfectly beautiful, you may
take it for granted that that person never saw the
sight. A semi-circle of snow-white buildings, ex-
tending ten or twelve miles along the margin of a
placid bay, backed by an amphitheatre of bold
mountains rearing back against the deep blue sky,
with the smoky funnel of the terrible old Vesuvius
in the midst, could not be any thing else than beau-
tiful— could it ?

Naples is a funny place. As soon as our steamer
anchored in the bay, it was surrounded by a fleet
of the funniest-looking boats, rowed by the most
comical-looking men you ever saw, all wearing red
caps, a hat being a luxury they never aspire to.
And then such a chattering, and such a jabbering.

hal's travels. 179

and such pantomimic exertions, oftcring tlieir boats
to take passengers asliore ! Tliey were almost as
vociferous as a bevy of New York hack-drivers.
After remaining on the steamer two hours, the
police graciously gave us permission to land ;
whereupon we bundled ourselves into the funny
boats, and wore rowed by the comical men to the
custom-liouse, where the officers, in their funny
little short-tail coats, and cunning little silver-laced
caps, proceeded to dive most savagely into the bag-
gage of ever}' man who failed to slip a couple of pauls
into their hands. An}- thing can be smuggled into
the port of Naples for two pauls, (twenty-two cents.)
And here we are in Naples. AVhat crowds of
people, and how filthy they all look ! and such
chattering and begging — and such poor, hungry-
looking wretches ! Hard, gaunt poverty is here !
And yet, destitute and hungry as they look,
they crack jokes and laugh with one another.
Many are at work in the open streets, some making
shoes, some spinning, some tinkering, and here and
there an old woman, seated by a small kettle of
coals, broiling fish, which she serves hot from the
fire, to all who have the wherewith to pay for them.
And merchants in every line are here, hawking
their wares — apples, oranges, figs, maccaroni, cakes,
pies, bread, nuts, etc., etc. — all yelling at the top of
their voices, praising their own merchandise. Babel
was a small aft'air, as far as confusion is concerned,
compared to ]N'ai)les. And here go the donkeys,
(the donkey is one of the institutions of this city,

180 hal's travels.

and the owner of a donkey is considered a respect-
able property-holder,) the least imaginable crea-
tures, carrying loads of the most prodigious size.
Here goes one with a load of vegetables, enough to
load a two-horse wagon, and there goes one under
a mound of hay. You see nothing but his ears.
Another, with a load of wood. And here comes a
little fellow, trotting merrily along, jingling his
bells, drawing a two-wheeled carriage with ten
burly men and a slouchy woman. As to carrying
burdens and drawing loads, the donkey is all in all,
here. I say again, i^aples is a funny city. It is a
large city — second to none in Europe, except Lon-
don and Paris ; well built, with the houses reaching
from four to six stories high, and is, withal, as filthy
as any four cities I ever saw, leaving out the old
part of Rome. I have not yet been able to count
the number of odors here ; but I think there must
be several hundred "well-defined stinks." But let
me not be understood as condemning the whole of
Naples. There are decent places. One long, broad
street (don't remember its name) is filled with rich
and brilliant shops, reminding one of Paris ; and
one or two others are passable, while the Kiug's
Garden, which stretches along the bay, is one of the
most beautiful promenades I ever saw.

Our first excursion after reaching l^aples, was to
the resurrected city of Pompeii, It is much more
extensive than I expected to find it. It is perfectly
wonderful to see a great city brought again to light,
after being buried and its site forgotten for more

hal's travels. 181

tbau seventeen hundred years. Two-thirds of the
city yet remain buried ; but the part discovered
shows it to have been a city of much beauty. It
must have been very old at the time of its destruc-
tion ; for the solid stone-paved streets are deeply
worn with carriage-wheels. The remains of gor-
geous palaces, two large theatres, and an amphi-
theatre capable of seating twenty-live thousand
people, besides hundreds of shops and other houses,
have been exhumed. The Villa of Diomedes was
a very grand building, and in the large wine-cellar
beneath it still remain the wine-jars, just as they
were left the day the city was engulfed. The
house of Caius Sallust is one of the largest that has
been discovered. The floor of every house is of
the finest mosaic ; finer than any modern mosaics I
have seen. Almost every street corner was supplied
with a fountain. But it is useless for me to try to
tell you about Pompeii in a letter. Its immersion
and resurrection are known already to every intelli-
gent reader. Before visiting Pompeii, my friend
Smith thought it was a humbug, gotten up by the
Neapolitans to get money out of travellers. He is
now satisfied that it is no humbug. AVe spent a
day walking about its solitary streets.

But little of Ilerculaneum has yet been disco-
vered. It lies buried in lava that is harder than
limestone, forty feet beneath the surface, and an-
other town now stands above it. We saw all of it in
an hour. Tlie theatre is the most important building
discovered. It is of immense size. Ilerculaneum

182 iial's travels.

will for ever remain a hidden mystery ; for it cannot
be exhumed without destro^nng the city that stands
above it; and that wouldn't pay.

We spent one day in the Museum where the
things found at Pompeii and Hcrculaneum are kept.
There is much fine statuary, both in marble and
bronze ; also household utensils of every descrip-
tion. It is intensely interesting to look upon these
relics, which are nearly two thousand years old.
Loaves of bread, baked so long ago, are exhibited,
with the name of the baker stamped upon them.

Yesterday seems to have been the day pitched
upon by nearly every American in Naples (twenty-
nine in number) to visit Mount Vesuvius. All,
with one accord, met at Racina, the town which
stands above the submerged Ilerculaneum. That
is the place from which the ascension begins. Our
debut into the village was hailed with a shout of
gladness by the proprietors of donkeys, and all
their friends. It was a holiday, and the people
were all idle ; therefore the crowd which surrounded
us was immense. Every man, or at least every
man's friend, had a donkey to hire ; and each man
did his level best to talk louder than his neighbor
in praise of his own or his friend's donkey. They
quarrelled and cursed each other, and crowded
about us in such a manner that we seemed in immi-
nent danger of being trodden under foot. Finally,
after an immense amount of hard swearing and
scuffling among the donkey men, twenty-nine of
the diminutive creatures were saddled and mounted

HAL'S TRAVELS. 183

by twenty-nine Americans — nearly an equal num-
ber of ladies and gentlemen. Every donkey must
needs have a driver, and here a battle ensued
among the boys as to who should go as drivers.
The stoutest soon fanned out the less •muscular,
and the conquerors took their places beside the
donkej's. At the word of our guide, we started off,
single file, in a brisk trot. The ladies not being
used to such a mode of locomotion, were fright-
ened ; and some of them set up a succession of
those interesting little screams peculiar to such of
the "dimity institution" as scream at the sight of a
lizard or a toad. The donkeys, in response, set up
a braying, and this, added to the cries and shouts
of the men, women, and children that lined the
way on either side, created a noise and confusion
hardly surpassed by a mob at a New York muni-
cipal election. Friend Smith says he never saw or
heard the like before ; and Smith is an old man.

A ride of an hour and a half brought us to the
foot of the cone, the place where the donkeys must
be left, and from which those who would look into
the crater must exercise their powers of climbing.
It is a serious undertaking, and those who have not
good muscles and stout boots had better not under-
take it. Of the twenty-nine who started up, only
nine reached the summit. Your correspondent was
one of the nine. The twenty contented themselves
with going to the lower crater, a new one that has
not been long in existence. The lava is pouring
out of it in a fine large stream. I lighted my pipe,

184 iial's travels.

and smoked beside the great stream of liquid fire.
Getting to tlie summit was about as hard an hour's
work as I ever did. Two ladies of the party suc-
ceeded in getting up. "What we saw of the crater
was — nothing ! We walked along the brink of what
seemed a great "jumping-off place," but the smoke
was so dense we could not see twenty feet down.
The fumes of sulphur were so strong that we could
not remain near the brink of the opening more than
half a minute at a time.

The funniest part of the business was coming down
the mountain, running, jumping, rolling, tumbling,
and sliding down the steep cone in the ashes. I en-
joyed the fun so much that I was really sorr^^ when
the base was reached.

"Without being tedious, I will merely say that we
returned to our donkeys, and wended our way back
to Eacina, finishing the descent by moonlight. Got
back to our hotel in ITaples about 8 o'clock, having
been occupied eleven hours in the excursion.

But does it pay ? Much as a bargain. It don't
more than pay, although it may be about a fair trade.
You are jperhajps compensated for the labor of going
up, by the fun of coming down. Certain, you do
not see enough to make it a paying business. The
most interesting part of the day's excursion to me
was the row among the donkey men and boys at
Racina, and the start from that place. It was rich.

Smith says he never until now believed the story
about burning mountains. He 's satisfied.

On Tuesday next I leave this funny city of Naples

iial's travels. 185

for Egypt and Palestine. There will be fourteen in
the party — all Americans. AVe sail first to Malta,
then to Alexandria, and thence to Grand Cairo.
Expect to go up the Nile, and see much of the
country once ruled by the Pharaohs. Shall look
with deep interest upon the places once inhabited
b}^ the Israelites, while in bondage under the tyran-
nical Egyptians. Will go to the place where they
crossed the Ked Sea when led out by God under the
direction of Moses, and where Pharaoh and his host
were drowned. After that we shall go to Jerusalem
and many other parts of the Holy Land, about which
I will write you after I have seen them.

I am sorry to leave Naples so soon. There are
many pleasant excursions in the neighborhood I
would like to make. Besides, it is a pleasant place
to stop. Living is fine ; plenty of macaroni, and
an abundance of goats' and asses' milk. The milk-
merchants here, instead of carrying their milk round
in tin vessels, as in some other cities, go to the
houses of their customers with a flock of goats
bleating at their heels, and milk them in the houses
of those who bu3\ This insures to the purchaser
pure, unadulterated milk. This is sensible.

Hal.

P. S. — Glorious news ! Madam Smith has made
up her mind to go to Egypt, and so I shall not be
so suddenly deprived of the company of my good
friend Smith. He does not want to go ; but that is
nothing. The madam has made up her mind ! He

186 iial's travels.

lias just been in to tell me about it. His face is
rather elongated this evening.

We commit ourselves again to the vasty deep on
Tuesday, the 10th.

iial's travels. 187

LETTER XX.

NAPLES TO EGYPT.

If yon knew the difficulties whicli surronnd your
correspondent at this time, you would certainly
appreciate this eflbrt of his to write you a letter.
He is seated • in a very narrow little state-room,
two by six feet, on board one of the most dimi-
nutive steamers that ever attempted the voyage
across the Mediterranean, his knees and the back
of a book doing the duty of a writing-desk. He
is doing his level best to maintain a perpendicular,
but evidently fails, as is seen by his head coming in
contact, first with the berth on the one side, and the
wall on the other, caused by the masterly efforts of
the little steamer to mount the ponderous waves so
peculiar to the middle of the Great Sea. Still, not-
withstanding the waves, and the nausea produced
thereby, he persists, determined to get oif an epistle
of some sort, which, under the circumstances, you
cannot expect to be either long or brilliant.

"A life on the ocean wave" will do well enough
to talk about, and is a pretty thing when well sung
with a good accompaniment, but a life on the
ocean wave in reality is not the thing it is cracked

188 hal's travels.

up to be. The " flashing brine, the spray, and the
tempest roar" are sublime things, in the distance,
suggestive of any amount of poetry, but, upon a
familiar approach, the poetry vanishes like a thing
of air. To those who love good dinners and quiet
stomachs thereafter, I would say, " Go not down to
the sea in ships." I say this from experience, having
been for the past four days riding upon the raging
billows of the deep blue sea, where sharks do swim,
and monsters of the vasty deep do congregate.

Four daj's ago we glided out of the beautiful
Bay of Naples, with as clear a sky and as smooth
a sea as heart could wish. Our little party rejoiced
with exceeding gladness at the prospect of a plea-
sant voyage to the land of the Pharaohs. Song and
merriment were kept up on board the ship through-
out the da}^, and until a late hour at night. My
friend Smith was in ecstasies, and even his hand-
some young wife condescended to entertain the com-
pany with "Annie Laurie" and the "Prairie Flower,"
which she sang to perfection, accompanied with the
guitar. Smith told me he thought her voice an-
gelic.

Early the next morning we found ourselves in the
strait, and opposite the city of Messina, on the
picturesque island of Sicily. Here our ship stopped
four hours, giving us time to " do up" Messina.
Without entering into any description of this city,
I will only say that it is a second edition of Kaples
on a small scale, very handsome at a distance.

About the time we sailed from Messina, the

hal's travels. 189

lieaveus became dark, and in an hour the wind
blew great guns, lashing the sea into foaming bil-
lows, while the rain came down in torrents. Our
little steamer reared and pitched like a little dog in
high oats, riding the great waves like a thing of life.
The passengers were all huddled together in the
saloon, and the most sober stillness prevailed. A
more grave and serious company I never saw, ex-
cept Smith, who boasts that he is never sea-sick.
A joke under such circumstances I thought really
barbarous — in very bad taste, to say the least — but
Smith persisted in getting oil' two or three of the
most shocking kind, which, however, nobody
laughed at but himself. The vomiting brought
about by the agitation of the waters, he heartlessly
called "casting up accounts," and laughed at it as
a joke. But the merriment of Mr. Smith was soon
brought to an abrupt termination, for the illness of.
Mrs. S. became very violent. She heaved and
groaned in great agony. Said she thought she
would die. Smith became earnest, and told her
not to think of such a thing. She declared she
would die. Smith begged her not to do so. She
asserted roundly and positively that she would not
live half an hour, when Smith cried — called her his
sweet angel, and begged her in the most piteous
tones, for his sake, and for the sake of a future
generation of Smiths, to live. His earnest persua-
sions overcame her, and she lived. This affecting
scene caused many of us to forget our own sickness
for the time, but it returned in time to remind us

190 hal's travels.

that the storm was still raging. Towards ten o'clock
at night the violence of the storm was spent, but the
sea continued rough enough to keep up the sickness
most of the night. We thought many times during
the night, of the storm that raged on these same
waters, some eighteen hundred years ago, when the
Apostle Paul was making his voyage across the
Mediterranean, an account of which may be found
in the 27th and 28th chapters of the Acts of the
Apostles. Early the next morning we entered the
harbor of Malta, the place where the apostle and
his company were shipwrecked. The bay where
the wreck occurred is still called St. Paul's Bay.
Malta is a large and pretty city — one of the cleanest
cities I ever saw — and to show the intense passion
of the people for cleanliness, they tr^^ to clean every-
body who goes there out of their cash. For instance,
a party of us went ashore and took breakfast at a
hotel — a very small breakfast, consisting of eggs and
coffee — for which we paid seventy-five cents each. I
desired to lay in supplies there for my Egyptian tour,
but found the prices too high for every thing but
tobacco. I shall always have some respect for Malta
for furnishing me a good article of chewing-tobacco
cheap — the first I have fo.und this side of ITew York.
The luxury of chewing-tobacco is unknown in other
portions of Europe ; and I advise all those who are
fond of masticating the weed, to bring as much with
them when they come over as they can conveniently
smuggle in. Otherwise they will fare but middling.
At twelve o'clock yesterday we sailed from Malta.

iial's travels. 191

Sea comparatively smooth. Most of the invalids
were sunning themselves on deck. Some got quite
lively, and a song could occasionally be heard. We
Avere a mixed company, consisting of Americans,
(wlio predominated, there being fourteen of us,)
French, Italians, Greeks, Maltese, Germans, and
Turks. We have all languages, and a variety of
costumes.

An incident occurred late in the afternoon, worth
mentioning, perhaps. Madam Smith had so far re-
covered as to be able to get upon deck. She looked
charmingly pale and interesting, and came up smil-
ing like an aurora. As she walked across the deck,
the ship brought a sudden lurch just as her foot
came in contact with a coil of rope, which threw the
unfortunate lady flat upon her face, and at the same
instant a spanking breeze came whisking along, and
in the rudest manner took unmentionable and un-
warrantable liberties with her crinoline, and

But some scenes are indescribable, and others are
not proper to be described. I will only say that the
charming and innocent Madam S. retired to her
state-room, and has not been seen since the sad
catastrophe. Mr. Smith informs me that the occur-
rence has had a most shocking efl:ect upon the
Madam's nerves.

This is the fourth day of our vo^'age. We sailed
in sight of the coast of Africa all the forenoon to-
day. An hour or two ago the pilot pointed out to
me a dim speck in the distance, Avhich lie said was
Crete. That is the island where I think the Apostle

192 HAL'S TRAVELS.

Paul wanted to stop and winter, when sailing over
this sea. The sea is pretty rough, and with your
permission I will stop writing now, and finish at
some future time.

Sunday, Jan. 15. — We are sailing this evening
over a tolerably quiet sea, though it was rough
enough this morning. At breakfast it was an-
nounced that we would have preaching in the saloon
at 11 o'clock. (We have three Kew England
preachers in our party — all of whom are of the
"immortal three thousand.") When the hour ar-
rived, only seven of us, including the preacher, as-
sembled at the place of worship, the rest having
suddenly relapsed into sea-sickness. The preacher
read the 27th chapter of Acts, and after we had
sung some old familiar hymns, he delivered a most
excellent discourse from the text, " If God be for us,
who can be against us ?" Nothing unusual has oc-
curred to-day. We are promised a sight of Alex-
andria to-morrow morning, and I shall certainly
hail the sight with gladness. Yours, etc.,

Hal.

hal's travels. 198

LETTER XXI.

ALEXANDRIA — EGYPT.

And so I am in Egypt — the land into wliich
Joseph was sold as a slave — the land of the Pha-
raoh's— the land of the bondage of the children of
Israel — the land of Moses and of Aaron, and the
land once cursed with ten plagues. I am in the
ancient city of Alexandria, built by Alexander the
Great more than three hundred years before the
birth of our Saviour. It was in a ship of Alexandria
that Paul sailed to Rome.

Our debut into this city was funny enough. It
was early on Monday morning our ship anchored in
the bay. By the time the anchor reached the bot-
tom we were surrounded by a multitude of boats,
and no less than a hundred bare-legged, shirt-tailed,
turbancd Turks and Egyptians, and about half that
number of loose-trowsered brigandish-looking crea-
tures, were mounting up the sides and tumbling
into our ship upon every quarter. I thought ISTaples
was so77ie for noise and confusion, but it was nothing.
Then there was a scramble for the baggage. Every
yellow-skinned dog that could lay his hands on an
article of baggage seized it, and was for lugging it
7

194 iial's travels.

into Ills boat, tliinking thereby to secure the owner
of the article for a passenger to the shore. I held
on to my carpet-bag, but had to use my stick freely
to keep the creatures from tearing it aAvay from me.
Smith cursed and swore like a madman, and vowed
he would shoot a score of the scoundrels, but un-
fortunately his revolver was locked up in his trunk,
and his trunk gone he knew not where. The
Madam was awfully frightened, and for a time
threatened to go into a fit. I assisted in restoring
her by procuring from the steward a little brandy
and water — a wonderful medicine to promote cour-
age. Smith finally found his trunk in the boat of a
big-bearded fellow, who said he had taken it from
a thief who was running ofi" with it. Smith gave
him a shilling for rescuing his trunk, and took pas-
sage with him. The big-bearded fellow was the
rogue who had taken the trunk at first, and then
invented the lie to ward ofi' the anger of the owner,
and to get the shilling for his honesty. The hotel-
runners were out in force, and pitched into us with
as much earnestness as the boatmen. Each one
praised his own hotel, and did what he could to
disparage his rivals'. As ours is a large party, we
had a good deal of fun in receiving bids. Finally
we accepted the ofifer of the proprietor of the Hotel
des Indies, where we have fared well (for Egypt) for
two days.

This is a strange country. Every thing is so en-
tirely different from what I have seen in America
and Europe, that I have gazed and wondered with

hal's travels. 195

admiration continually. The flowing trowsers,
quaint coats and mantles, picturesque turbans and
Fez caps — and then to see all the burdens carried
upon camels, instead of wagons — goat-skins of
water carried upon asses — all so strange ! Unlike
our country and Europe, the fashions and manners
of the Asiatics never change. They are the same
now that they were in the da3-s of Abraham. Few
people walk here. Everybody rides the donkey.
They stand ready saddled in great herds at nearly
ever}^ corner. I have been on the back of one of
the nimble little creatures almost continually, since
my arrival. Nearly all of our party have done the
same. Our first jaunt was to Pompey's Pillar,
which stands about a mile out, then to Cleopatra's
jSTeedles, to the Catacombs, to the ruins of Ancient
Alexandria — everywhere. Riding is cheap, and we
ride to every place. We go in a gallop nearly all
the time, both ladies and gentlemen. It is rare
fun, and no mistake. Every donke}^ has a driver
to follow, with a stick. We have a donkey and a
driver a whole day for two shillings. We get the
worth of our money, and I am sure they earn all
they get. The long-legged drivers wear nothing in
the world but long shirts, and can run all day. There
are twelve of us who usuall}^ ride out together; and
to see us go dashing at full speed through the streets,
with twelve drivers yelling at our heels, makes the
quiet old Mussulmans stare w^ith no little surprise.
I guess they think the Americans are strange crea-

196 HAL'S TRAVELS.

tares. My friend Smitli says he is sorry lie did uot
come to Egypt sooner. Had no idea it was sucli a
funny place. He curses tlie d — d barbarians for
dressing in such outlandish style, and is not a little
shocked at the practice of covering up the faces of
the women, all but the ejes. He swears he will
take an Egyptian donkey home with him. Wants
to ride a camel ; but we persuade him to wait till
we reach Grand Cairo, for which city we leave to-
morrow.

Alexandria contains about 80,000 inhabitants.
The houses don't seem to be built in any particular
form, but seem to be thrown together at random —
roofs all flat, and in the Turkish part of the town
are seldom more than one story high. The houses
are much better, and the streets are of a respectable
width in the Frank part of the city. People of all
nations, nearly, live here — Turks, Greeks, Assy-
rians, Maltese, Europeans, Nubians, etc., etc.

We have been beset with a horde of dragomans
ever since our arrival, desiring the job of carrying
us up the Mle, or anywhere else we may choose to
go. We have not got our route fully determined
upon yet. We may go from Cairo first to Mount
Sinai, or we may go up the Nile. It is too early for
our travels in Palestine. We will determine upon
a route when we reach Cairo.

Smith says he is glad he came to Egypt, because
there are no noted painters or sculptors here. He
knows that Mrs. S. would be sitting for more pic-

HAL'S TRAVELS. 197

tures of herself, if she could find a. painter. lie
says he knows she will want to take a camel home
with her.

In my rides around here I notice hundreds of
Bedouins' tents scattered about over the barren
sand hills. They look quite primitive and pic-
turesque. The Bedouins are a filthy, lazy people,
and man}^ of them, I observe, wear nothing but a
piece of old shirt, and others are in a state of
nature. Don't know how they live. A whole
family will possess nothing in the world but a tent
and the few rags they have on their backs. The
poorest people in our country are wealthy, compared
to these poor wandering creatures.

I had almost forgotten to tell you that we paid a
visit to the Pasha's Palace to-day. It is the neatest
and most luxurious establishment I have seen,
though not near so large nor imposing as many of
the palaces of Europe. "Wc were required to leave

198 hal's travels.

our shoes at the door, and were furnished with
slippers. The Pasha is not here at present. Has
gone up to Cairo. We were not admitted into the
Harem, the palace of the Pasha's wives, which
stands opposite the one we entered.

I would write a longer letter, but the mosquitoes
and fleas are working upon me terribly.

Yours, etc., Hal.

iial's travels. 199

LETTER XXII.

ALEXANDRIA TO CAIRO.

A WISE man has said that " much study is a wea-
rincss of the flesh." Such beino; the fact, I shall
drop you a few disjointed sentences, gotten up with
the very smallest amount of study ; for, in this de-
bilitating climate, it takes an industrious man
indeed to concoct a studied epistle. You must
remember your correspondent is now in Africa, a
country in which industry is a rank stranger, and
likely to remain so.

Xow, for convenience, and as I am too lazy to
tell you every thing, suppose you imagine yourself
with me in my journeyings since the date of my
last letter, which was, I believe, from Alexandria.
Leaving the Hotel des Indies on the morning of
the 18th inst., we wend our way through the
narrow, dirty streets of that city, in the queerest
omnibus that civilized man ever saw. An omnibus
docs not accord with our notions of Eastern loco-
motion, where camels, dromedaries, and asses have
reigned supreme ever since Ham and his progeny
peopled the land of Egypt, We are surprised to
see an omnibus. But hark ! What familiar sound

200 hal's travels.

is that? A locomotive whistle, as I live! And is
it possible, you ask, that we have to go to Cairo by
mere railroad ? It is even so, my friend ; for a rail-
road has found its way into Egypt ; and as it is the
best we can do, we must put up with it. Terrible
bore ! But here we are, at the depot. We buy our
tickets, or rather Mr. Smith buys them for us ; for,
as he is a sharp man to drive a trade, we have
elected him treasurer and captain of our party. He
is proud of his position, and spares no pains to ren-
der satisfaction. We travel as one family, and have
all our bills in common, which Mr. Smith inva-
riably disputes and higgles over until they are
reduced from ten to twenty-live per cent. He
saves us much expense by his shrewdness. You
observe that our leader has brought to the aid of
his dignity a uniform well becoming a bold captain.
At Malta he bought a few yards of gold lace and a
military cap. The lace he has had sewed upon his
pants, upon his shoulders, and a strip around his
cap. Shining gilt buttons also adorn his coat. He
is quite an officer in appearance, and acts his part
to admiration. He says that a friend of his in
Boston told him that if he ever visited Egypt or
Spain, he must don the military dress, to inspire
awe in the natives. He has followed the advice,
not only in dress, but in his noble bearing. Smith
we all consider indispensable.

But the bell rings, and we are off for Grand
Cairo — Cairo the magnificent— Cairo the Victorious.
Here we go, whizzing through the delta, up the

ual's travels. 201

valley of the Wile ; the richest country, perhaps, in
the world. The whole country, you see, is inter-
sected with canals, and at every bound we see
machines for raising water, to irrigate the soil.
We pass by numerous villages embowered in groves
of palm trees. But for the palms, these villages
would be the most desolate, forlorn-looking places
we ever saw ; for they are composed of nothing but
mud huts, covered with cornstalks or straw. The
inhabitants are miserable-looking creatures, many
of them half naked. There is a ghastly sameness
about all these villages — and people. Nearly the
whole face of the earth is green with crops of luxu-
riant wheat and clover, with here and there a
familiar-looking cotton-field. And now cast your
e3'es over the beautiful plain upon the left. It is
exceeding fiiir to look upon ; " the best of the land
of Egypt;" and the numerous flocks and herds
you see before you, tell you that you are viewing
the land of Goshen. This is the country that
Pharaoh gave to the patriarch Jacob, and his sons.
It is still good for cattle.

Seven hours' run, and the domes and minarets of
the mosques of the capital of Egypt rise before us.
That is Grand Cairo, the pride of Egypt, and one of
the largest cities of the East. At four o'clock we
halt at the depot, and here we again find those hor-
rible evidences of European or American encroach-
ment— omnibusses — and, what is still more horrible,
we find a multitude of hotel "drummers." "We
don't like this. It is not the feast we were invited

202 hal's travels.

to. We came to the East to find eastern manners
and customs, but instead of that we are actually met
hy men wearing coats and hats, and, what is worse,
addressed in plain English ; and, even worse than
that, importuned to go to Shepherd's Hotel, and Wil-
liams's Hotel ! Think of that, will you ! " Shepherd"
and "Williams" keeping hotel in Grand Cairo!
Romance is knocked into the middle of next week !

Our party is now permanently reduced to twelve,
just enough to fill an omnibus. Smith drives a bar-
gain with the conductor, and we despairingly get
into the lumbering vehicle, with a determination to
visit all the hotels, and stop at the one that will take
us on the best terms. We go first to Shepherd's,
and while Captain Smith (I must give him his title)
is chafiering with the landlord about the price, a
half-blind, half-naked Arab comes up to the side of
the omnibus with matches to sell. I take a
box, and give the fellow a rupee to change, (half a
dollar.) In five seconds my rupee, in company with
the Arab and his basket of matches, is out of sight.
I jump out and follow in vain. He is at least a
quarter of a mile away. The villainous idlers and
shirt-tail donkey-boys about the hotel laugh at my
discomfiture.

We leave Shepherd's and drive to four or five
other hotels, and finally make a satisfactory bargain
with the landlord of the Hotel d' Orient, where we
unpack and settle down for a season. Capt. Smith
did himself great credit in beating the hotel-keeper
down in his price. He contends that as we tako

hal's travels. 203

lodgings by wholesale, we ouglit to have tliem at
wholesale prices. Very right.

So here we are in Cairo, surrounded with drago-
men, all wanting employment. We are besieged
and set upon by swarms of them. We all shake
them off, and send them to Capt. Smith. All these
dragomen have something less than a peck of cer-
tificates each, which they expect us to read, and
Smith reads them.

And now another morning has dawned. Having
had a night's rest, we will sally forth and see the
city. We desire to walk, but the crowd of donkeys
waiting at the door is evidence that we are expected
to ride. We muster our forces, and, with the cap-
tain in advance, make a gallant charge towards the
open street, but the donkey-bo^^s about the door are
too many for us. We retreat ingloriously. Rally
and make another charge, but our repulse is more
signal than at first. The donkeys have been rein-
forced. We hold a council, and determine to break
through at all hazards. The captain shouts, flour-
ishes his shillalch, and, with the vigor of Peter Mc-
Graw at Donnybrook Fair, makes a bold rush, fol-
lowed by us all in solid column : knocks down two
Arabs, and nearl}' punches the eye out of a third,
but all to no purpose. The column of donkeys and
donkey-boys is impenetrable. We hold another
council, and capitulate. Twelve donkeys arc imme-
diately hired, and a few minutes after, twelve Am-
ericans, eight gentlemen and four ladies, are gallop-
ing at full speed through the narrow streets of Cairo,

204 HAL'S TRAVELS.

followed by twelve Arab boys whose vociferous yells
keep the road before us clear. Tbeir yells are in-
cessant, and interpreted would be something like,
"0 old man ! 0 virgin ! get out of the way ! on the
right ! on the left ! look to your bare feet ! These
Americans come, they come, they come ! Stand
not in the way, 0 ye children of the true faith !"
"We make for the citadel — a powerful fortress on a
hill overlooking the city. It was into this citadel
that Mohammed Ali Pasha inveigled the Mama-
lukes and had them massacred. Within the citadel
is the Pasha's Palace, and the finest mosque in the
city. "We take off our shoes and enter, and see the
faithful x^rostrating themselves with their faces to-
wards Mecca. We now walk to the edge of the
wall of the fortress and look out upon the scene
below. Is it not magnificent ? The city from here
looks beautiful, for the numerous domes and grace-
ful minarets look very picturesque. If Cairo could
onl}^ be seen from here, we should call it a city of
great beauty ; but when we enter the narrow, filthy
streets, and are continually jostled by loaded don-
keys, and camels, and miserable sore-eyed people,
we desire to be somewhere else. Few of the streets
are wide enough to admit carriages. But from the
walls of the citadel we see none of this hideousness.
All is fair and comely. Now look away off to the
west. Is not that a picture ? There is nothing to
bound the vision. You see the great river Mle
come winding down between its green banks for
many, many miles, dotted with hundreds of sail-

hal's travels. 205

boats. ]S"ow look across twelve miles in the south-
west. There are tlie Pyramids of Ghezeh, just as
yon have seen them in pictures all your life. They
look perfectly natural — -just exactly as you expected
to see them. Don't old Cheops loom up proudly !
Does not seem to be more than two or three miles
oiF, but it is twelve. Wonderful pile ! We will go
and take a nearer view of it some day, so be pa-
tient.

But come, let us return to our hotel. We must
hold a general council this evening. One portion of
our part}^ have got their heads set towards Mount
Sinai, and the rest of us desire a trip up the Nile.
It is time a decision Avas come to. Three "highly
respectable gentlemen" of most villainous aspect
have kindly tendered their services to conduct us
across the desert to Sinai. They are true descend-
ants of Ishmael.

But look! Here comes a wedding -procession.
Two old fellows lead it, beating something like rude
drums ; immediately behind them is the bride, closely
veiled, supported by tAvo other women, also veiled.
The friends of the bride bring up the rear with songs
and laughter. She is on her way to the house of
her intended, to be delivered over, after which she
will no more be seen upon the streets, for a husband
never sutfers his wife to go abroad in Egypt. The
Koran prohibits Mohammedan wives exhibiting
themselves in public, and the jealousy of the hus-
bands endorses the prohibition.

Here we are, at the hotel. We take dinner, and

206 HAL'S TRAVELS.

discuss the question as to our future movements.
The three "immortal 'New England clergymen"
plead strongly for the Sinai trip, but the rest of
us have made up our minds to see Thebes and the
crocodiles. The preachers waver a little, and we
think our arguments have well-nigh prevailed.
"We end the discussion and retire to our rooms.

Another day has broken upon us, fair and lovely.
This is our third day in Cairo. We take a drago-
man and start out on a sight-seeing tour. Remember-
ing our defeat yesterday morning, we quietly yield
ourselves into the hands of the donkey-boys, and
are soon off in a canter, raising clouds of dust and
a terrible clatter. First we will go to the Island of
Rhoda, a beautiful isle in the Mle, covered with
rich vegetation and some fine gardens. A palace
of one of the former rulers of Egypt stands on this
island. Here is a picturesque grotto built of stones,
shells and coral, said to mark the spot where the
infant Moses was found in the bulrushes. iTow we
will go to the upper end of the island and see the
Nilometer, or Nile -measurer. It is a chamber
perhaps forty feet square, with a pillar in the centre,
marked for ascertaining the rise of the Nile.
"When the river is rising, the dail}^ rise is pro-
claimed in the streets of the city each morning, by
criers, in the different wards of the town. There is
nothing remarkable about this pillar, except its
antiquity. It was established many years before
Christ.

Now, having seen the grotto, the palace, and the

hal's travels. 20T

Nilonieter, wc will rccross this branch of the river,
and go to the mosque of the Howling Dervishes, for
this is Friday, and their service begins at one
o'clock. "We go through a shady court into a large
square room, the floor of which is covered with
matting, and around a circle in the centre arc
spread some rugs and sheep-skins. The brethren
have commenced coming in, and in a few minutes
the circle is complete. They take their seats on
sheep-skins, and begin a humming noise, which, if
we desired to be very courteous, we might call
singing. Now contemplate them, as they sit there,
swaying their bodies to and fro. There are thirty
of them, perhaps ; most uncouth-looking creatures ;
sturdy, undersized, broad-shouldered, bare-legged,
splay-footed, horny -fisted, dark -browed, savage-
looking, hairy -throated creatures, whose coun-
tenances denote the most desperate sanctimonious-
ness. Now one old fellow of a liver-and-tan color,
and a bull-terrier expression, takes his stand in the
centre of the circle. A wave of the hand brings
the worshippers to their feet. The turbans of all
who have long hair are removed. Then, at the
word of command, they commence swaying their
bodies back and forth, each making a noise, as he
bends his body, not unlike the puffing of a high-
pressure steamboat. This exercise is continued for
one hour, without intermission, the movement
gradually growing more rapid, and the coughing
noise growing louder, until it resembles a howl.
The movement becomes so rapid that the long hair

208 hal's travels.

can be heard to crack as the jerk is made. Some
of them bend over so far as to almost touch the
floor. Then- movements are directed by the old
priest who stands in the centre. The ceremony is
accompanied with a strange kind of music — drums,
tambourines, flageolets, etc., which is any thing but
harmonious. This jerking movement is carried on
until some of the worshippers become so mesmer-
ized that they go into all sorts of strange antics,
and some fall down in fits of epilepsy, foaming at
the mouth. When this state is attained, the ex-
hibition closes, and visitors are expected to retire.
It is wonderful that it does not kill them. 'No one
will desire to see such an exhibition a second time.
The Dervish service being over, we will go to the
mosque of Amru, the oldest and most extensive in
the city. It is almost in ruins ; indeed, much of it
has already fallen. There is a superstition among
the Moslems, that when this mosque falls, Moham-
medanism will cease ; that a new prophet will arise,
whose prophecies shall supersede the Koran. That
time will not be long, judging from the looks of
these ancient walls. In this mosque are two upright
stone pillars, between which all the faithful must
pass. All who pass between them can gain admit-
tance into the kingdom of heaven. Those whose
corporeal rotundity renders it impossible for them
to get through, can never make the trip to the
Moslem heaven ; for it is said that they are too
fond of the good things of this world. By a very
tight squeeze, you see that I can get through, not-

iial's travels. 209

withstanding my increased bulk, caused, no doubt,
by my sojourn among the savory leeks and onions
of Egypt.

Now we will go up into Old Cairo, and visit the
old Coptic Church, beneath which is a grotto, in
which it is said the Virgin Mary and the infant
Saviour dwelt during their stay in Egypt, when
they fled from Ilerod. I know not the authority
for the tradition. The house and the grotto bear
evidence of great age, and were perhaps here at the
time of our Saviour. The Coptic Christians fully
credit the tradition.

Having done a pretty good day's work in the
way of sight-seeing, we will return to our hotel
and — sleep.

Now has arrived our fourth daj' in Cairo. We
have talked over again the respective routes of the
Nile and Mount Sinai. The Nile predominates,
and Captain Smith and your friend Hal have been
deputized to go down to the river, to select boats
for the trip. We require two boats : six only can
go in one boat. I am decidedly happy this morn-
ing ; for I have had my heart set upon a trip up the
Nile. We jump upon donkeys and gallop down to
the river — a mile and a half from our hotel. Here
are quite a number of boats, waiting to be hired.
How nice and cosy they are ! A sight of them
makes me doubly anxious to go up the river. Here
is a snug little cabin, and six cosy little bunks.
Won't we have a nice time ! We have selected an
experienced and intelligent dragoman, who brought

210 hal's travels.

us letters of recommendation from Bayard Taylor,
and many other Americans. He goes with us to
select the boats, and has promised to faithfully
superintend the cleansing of those we select; for,
as the Nile boats are nearly all alike, cleanliness is
the main point to look to in making a selection.
This is very important ; for there are still lingering
remnants of those terrible plagues once sent upon
Egypt by the Almighty. Fleas and bedbugs are
not the worst of the vermin met with here. Well,
we select two, and go back to the hotel to report,
when, 0 horrible ! we find the party again burst up,
or nearly so. Mr. Brown has again flown from his
agreement, and again declares for Mount Sinai, and
is followed by Mr. Jones and two others. And
thus we stand — eight in favor of the Nile, and four
against it. A split seems inevitable, but we perse-
vere, knowing that men who have already changed
twice are likely to change again. We all take
donkeys and ride out to the Shubra gardens and
country palace of the Pasha, the most beautiful
place we have yet seen in Egypt. This closes the
day. We will now return to our hotel and discuss
the route question again.

Fifth day in Cairo — Sunday. We rest all the
forenoon, and in the afternoon go to the American
Mission-rooms, and hear a discourse by Mr. C, one
of our party, and afterwards a short talk by Mr. W.,
another one of our party.

Sixth day. Our donkeys are brought out early ;
for to-day we visit Heliopolis, the ancient city of

iial's travels. 211

On. We mount, and, as usual, leave the city in a
lively gallop. We ride some eight or nine miles,
part of the Avay through desert, and part through
rich farms. And here we are, at Ilcliopolis. We
see nothing like a city now. There is nothing left
to mark the place where the ancient city stood, ex-
cept one immense granite ohelisk, covered with
hieroglyphics, which tell the story of its ancient
greatness. We see many mounds, where once
stood massive huildiugs, hut they have neither
shape nor comeliness. Traces of the old walls are
plainly disecrnihle, with their gates, hut that is all.
A little outside the wall is a well of water, held in
great esteem hy the Coptic Christians, because it is
said that Joseph and Mary, w^ith the infant Jesus,
drank and rested there, upon their first coming into
Egypt. A sycamore tree stands over it, which is
said to have been standing at that time. It is the
oldest-looking tree I ever saw — nine feet in diame-
ter one way, and three another, being fiat.

It was in this city of On that Joseph, the son of
Jacob, was married to the daughter of the high-
priest. That was a long time ago.

Having seen all that is to be seen here, we will
return to the city, and, if we get there in time, will
visit some of the Bazaars.

You have never been in an Eastern Bazaar
before ? No wonder you stare Avith your big eyes.
Here you see, in the space of one hundred yards,
fifty stores at least ; perhaps more. They are stuck

212 hal's travels.

in the sides of the houses, like cupboards. The
floor is raised perhaps two feet. The merchant sits
cross-legged in the middle, smoking his pipe ; and
if you ask to see an article, he hands it down to
you without changing his position ; for he can reach
any shelf in his little box without moving. He
seems perfectly indifferent about selling, seeming
to care more about his " chibouk" than for worldly
gains. He sits "like Patience on a monument,"
from morning till night. This one you see pufiing
smoke, and twirling his fierce moustache, is
but a specimen of a thousand. You are surprised
at the great number of these turban ed traders.
jSTothing but a thin partition divides these stores
one from another, and the streets on which they
are located are so narrow that a merchant can retain
his seat and hand his pipe across to his opposite
neighbor. When a loaded camel passes through,
which we often see, foot passengers have to crouch
close to the wall, or they are in danger. But it is
getting late, and we will return to the hotel, and
again discuss the route question.

Seventh day. Glorious news ! The Mount Sinai
party has again come round, and announced their
unalterable determination to go up the Mle. Now
for preparations in earnest. Achmet Sciada (this is
the name of our dragoman) now has orders to fit
out the expedition with the utmost dispatch. We
all take donkeys and gallop down to see the boats.
The ladies express themselves highly pleased with
the appearance of the boats, and the gentlemen are

hal's travels. 213

all satisfied. Orders are given to have the fleas,
bed-bugs, and other vermin utterly and uncompro-
misingly destroyed, which Achmet says shall be
done. Rats are also to be excommunicated, and
cockroaches banished. Capt. Smith and your friend
are to superintend these warlike measures. The
boats are nice and trim, and look like good sailers.
They are perhaps seventy feet long, and are rigged
with immense leg-of-mutton sails. Each is to be
manned with fourteen men, including the cooks
and waiters. We have christened them " Hiawatha"
and "Minnehaha." We are indebted to Mrs. Smith,
who has a poetical turn of mind, for these names.
We will return now to the hotel and finish up the
sight-seeing, while the dragoman gets things in
readiness for a start. Lunch is ready when we
arrive at the hotel. We eat, and now, ho ! for the
"Petrified Forest."

Again in the saddle, and with our twelve donkey-
boys yelling at our heels, we clatter through the
streets, and emerge from the eastern gate of the city
and enter at once into the desert. Two hours' ride
through desolation, where no green thing meets the
eye, and we reach what is called the "Petrified
Forest." It is an immense field of logs, and stumps,
and chips, of all shapes and sizes, looking precisely
like wood, but all solid stone. Some have the ap-
pearance of oak, and some walnut. There are im-
mense quantities of it. How or when it got here,
are questions for wise men to answer if they can.

214 HAL'S TRAVELS.

We gather many specimens, and return to Cairo
"with a pocket-full of rocks."

Eighth clay. This is a day of sadness. We are
told this morning that an American who has been
lying here sick for some days, is rapidly sinking.
He returned to Cairo a week or two ago from Syria,
ill of a fever, which has continued to grow worse
daily. He is a Mr. Osborne, of Philadelphia. Our
preparations for departure are made without noise
or hilarity. ....

Mr. Osborne has now breathed his last, and lies
in an upper room, cold in death. He died alone,
as it were. A few short months ago he left his wife
in Geneva, expecting to return about this time.
His remains will be interred this evening, and a
letter will bear the sad intelligence to the bereaved
widow. He died with a Christian's hope. For-
tunate man ! He has completed his journey but a
little sooner than the rest of us. It's all right.

We are busy now, fixing for our departure. There
are many little luxuries as well as necessaries that
must be bought here, for we are told that nothing
can be got above here. We will go up to the Euro-
pean bazaar and get us a couple of American flags,
for it will not do to go up the Nile without showing
our colors. Mr. Smith is anxious for us to get a
young cannon to fire salutes as we meet other boats.
We are now ready to start to-morrow. Our drago-
man informs us that all the stores are on board, the
crew ready, and if we have a fair wind, we shall to-

iial's travels. 215

morrow be wending our way towards Thebes, where
we shall wander among the greatest ruins in the
world. AYe all calculate on getting us a mummy
apiece, and a young crocodile or two. We shall
perhaps go to the first cataract, and take a look at the
Ethiopians in all their native beauty and 7iakcd sim-
plicit3^ We leave the hotel this evening, and shall
sleep on the boats to-night. We must not forget to
lay in a lot of pipes and a good supply of tobacco,
as well as a large supply of powder and shot, for we
are told that game is abundant up the Nile. Fishing-
tackle must also be remembered. So, farewell for
the present.

Hal.

216 HAL'S TRAVELS.

LETTER XXIII.

EGYPT — CAIRO TO THEBES.

All aboard ! Haul in the plank ! Ring the bell !
Hoist the sail ! Spread the stars and stripes to the
breeze, and let us be off!

But hold ! There is no breeze. The flag clings
to the mast, and the bosom of the majestic ISTile is
as placid as a lake in summer. We must "wait a
little longer."

We moved into our new quarters last evening,
and have already settled down into a quietness al-
most home-like. We found our dear little " Minne-
haha" newly painted and varnished, swept and gar-
nished, neat as a pin — in short, all that fancy painted
her. We slept in her neat little state-rooms with
the sweet assurance that a war of extermination had
been successfully waged against the peace-destroy-
ing vermin so peculiar to Egypt, and particularly
to Mle boats. In other words, we found the "Min-
nehaha" innocent of bed-bugs. Our friends on
board the " Hiawatha" were not so fortunate. They
got up this morning with bitter lamentations. We
pity, but cannot help them. Achmet (our drago-
man) comforts them with the assurance that hostili-

hal's travels. 217

ties shall be immediately recommenced and vigor-
ously prosecuted, until not a living bug or flea is
left to tell the tale.

"While we are waiting for the breeze, permit me
to introduce you to the "Minnehaha," which is to
be our home for six or seven weeks to come. See
how trim she is, and how gracefully she sits upon
the water. ISTow come aboard. See these cosy little
rooms. Here are three of them, eight by ten feet
square ; two beds in each, which answer the pur-
pose of sofas by day. See how nicely the floors are
carpeted, how richly the little windows are cur-
tained, and how beautifully the walls are striped off
with red, green, yellow, and white paint. Did you
ever see any thing more brilliant ? The artist un-
derstood the effect of mingling colors — didn't he?
A barber's shop was never more striped. Here we
have a table, six chairs, two tin candlesticks, a
swinging tin lantern, and an abundance of looking-
glass — our furniture all told. Now look on deck ;
here we have cages of turkeys, gccse, pigeons, and
chickens, besides a quarter of beef and several quar-
ters of mutton. In the hold we have bread, vege-
tables, flour, and all the etceteras necessary for a
two months' voyage — besides a goat to give us milk
by the way, and a sheep for future killing. This
cat we take along to catch the fleas — a tidy little
yellow cat she is. Every thing, you see, is home-like.
Here is an awning on the upper deck to protect us
from the sun. This will be our general lounging
place.

218 hal's travels.

N'ow take a glance at our crew. There are tliir-
teeii in all, including tlie two cabin-boys. The cap-
tain is a noble-looking young Egj^ptian, tall and
brawny, with a flashing black eye. He wears a large
turban, which adds not a little to his noble appear-
ance. His dress is one peculiar to the country,
being a long blue shirt which reaches several inches
below the knees. He disdains to trammel his rich
brown legs with trowsers. The sailors, like their
captain, are all in their shirt-tails, but none of them,
save the helmsman, rejoice in the possession of the
turban. Our dragoman dresses in the richest Turk-
ish costume, with a turban of costly Damascus silk.
He is a fine-looking fellow, very quiet and gentle-
manly in his manners. We like him much.

The scene around us as we lie here at the wharf
is quite oriental. You see scores of Eg^^ptian wo-
men coming down to the river with the great earthen
water-pots on their heads. They wade into the
water, wash their feet and legs, fill their pots, and
depart. Like the men, they all wear the long blue
cotton shirts, with a yard or two of the same mate-
rial thrown gracefully over their heads, with which
they make prodigious efiiorts to conceal their faces
from the gaze of man. Their cotton shirts are so
scant and thin that they serve nearly as much to dis-
play' as to conceal their rather graceful forms. You
also see caravans of little donkeys coming down and
departing laden with goat-skins full of water. Oc-
casionally a camel is loaded, and waddles ofi" with
these water-skins.

hal's travels. 219

But see ! our flag begins to float. The wind is
rising. The sailors flj' to their posts, push out into
the stream, spread the sails, we fire salutes, and are
off" — Hiawatha gallantly leading the way, and ^lin-
nehaha gayly tripping after. And now we scud away
before the breeze. Farewell to Grand Cairo. "Wc
are afloat upon the turbid bosom of the mighty
Nile.

And is it really so ? Am I on the great river of
Egypt, whose waters were once blood? the sands
upon whose beach were once lice ? Am I in the
land of Egypt, and near the very spot where the
prophet of God was taken from the bulrushes ?
And was it here that the locusts came up from the
great sea and destroyed every green thing ; where
the cold, slimy frogs came up and covered the lands,
penetrating into the very bedchambers, and infesting
the kneading-troughs ; where a great darkness came
upon the people, and the angel of death was in every
house ? It is even so ! Yonder is Memphis, or
Noph, where Pharaob lived. ISIoses was brought
up there as the son of a princess. Joseph lived
there, and Potiphar lived in the neighborhood. It
was there that the mighty miracles of God were
wrought by .the hand of his servant Moses, to con-
vince the heathen monarch of his great power.
There still stand the pyramids which Abraham and
Moses, and Jacob and Joseph, and all the patriarchs
have looked upon as w^e now see them. And away
over 3'Ondcr is the cit}' of On, which, like its neigh-
bor, Memphis, has fallen before the awful curse of

220 HAL'S TRAVELS.

God, as denounced by the prophets Jeremiah and
Ezekiel. It stood in the fruitful land of Goshen,
the best of the land of Egypt, which was given to
the patriarch Jacob and his sons. l!Tothing now re-
mains of that once great city but its fallen walls,
and one immense obelisk ! And this, too, is the
land to which our Saviour, when an infant, was
brought by Joseph and his espoused Mary to escape
the death which the wicked Herod would have ad-
m.inistered. Just over there is the subterranean
grotto in which he was nourished. The building
which stands above it is visible from where we stand,
and Christians worship even now in the very place.
But the breeze is blowing briskly, and our little
boats stem the current bravely. We pass the Island
of Rhoda, and are now opposite Ghezeh, and the
great Pyramids, and Memphis. We will not stop
to see them now, but wait until our return from
Upper Egypt. Mr. Smith is in ecstasies, and Mrs.
Smith is on deck, singing,

" 0 how we fly 'neath the loud-creaking sail !"

The weather is perfectly delicious — neither too
hot nor too cold. We are still in sight of the domes
and minarets of Cairo. l!^umerous palm-groves and
mud villages are in sight. The scenery is so novel
that I shall not be able to confine myself much longer
to write. I want to be on deck. So be patient if
you can, and I will finish this letter at some future
time, should the spirit move me to take up the pen.

It has been many, many days since the foregoing

iial's travels. 221

was written. We are now eighteen days out from
Cairo. Expect to see the great ruins of Thebes to-
morrow, should we have any wind to help us on —
an article we have been wanting for several days.
For me to note all the incidents that have occurred
along the way up the river would be both tiresome
and unprofitable, so I shall not do it. I will say,
however, that thus far the voyage has been a de-
lightful one ; and I shall always look back upon it
as one of the most pleasant seasons I ever enjoyed.
Incidents rich and racy, conversations fluent and
spic}', and songs solemn and comic, have made time
fly on sM'ift wings. "We have had head winds and
favoring winds, calms and storms, hot suns and chill-
ing breezes — every variety of weather except rain,
for it seldom rains in Egypt. We have strolled on
the shore, penetrated mud villages, talked to the
natives, and rolled in the sand on the margin of the
river, and kicked up our heels in the most free-and-
easy manner. I never knew what it was before to
be perfectl}' free from care ; for, be assured, there is
no care on this boat for anybody but the dragoman.
He is all in all — the factotum. lie is our servant,
our master, our guide, interpreter — ever}- thing. He
supplies all our wants, and we have nothing in the
world to do Init to cat, drink, and be merry. Wo
smoke our pipes, drink our coffee, read our books —
sometimes — write when we feel like it, sing, talk, and
tell yarns with the utmost freedom, dress or not
dress just as suits our tastes, and, in fact, do as wo
list, without regard to the prescribed rules of civil-

222 HAL'S TRAVELS.

ized society. I must confess to a sort of feeling of
pity for you poor fellows at home who are compelled
to dress up and wear blacked boots and two-story
hats every day, starched and ironed shirts, and care-
fully-tied cravats. In short, you are bound down
and hedged about with the most oppressive laws of
utter respectability, while we in Egypt kick up our
heels with impunity, and snap our fingers at society
and its laws. Glorious is life upon the Nile ! But
the best of our sport consists in shooting game. We
roam the fields when we please, and shed streams of
blood. Game is so plenty — geese, ducks, pigeons,
pelicans, and crocodiles, the latter of which nobody
kills, although everybody tries to kill — when they see
them. We spend much time on the shore, for when
the sailors are dragging the boat, which is more than
half the time, we traverse the rich fields, and lounge
in the villages, which are as plenty in Egypt as
blackberries in North Carolina. Mr. Smith and
your correspondent are almost inseparable com-
panions. We talk together, walk together, and
shoot together. Smith is not what would be called
in Kentucky a good marksman. He will shoot at
any thing, from a sparrow to a crocodile, but rarely
gets any thing. While some of our party think
little of bringing down a dozen pigeons at one shot,
Smith is well pleased if he can bring down one
pigeon in a dozen shots. Pigeons are here by the
million. The chief feature in all the villages is the
pigeon-houses. They tower much higher than the
dwellings, and are invariably built with more taste

iial's travels. 223

(if au Egj'ptian can be said to have any taste) than
the huts inhabited by the people — or two-legged
creatures who answer the place of people. Smith
loves to go into these villages, and to talk or try to
talk to these naked and half-naked devils, who are
to be found lounging and smoking by the hundred
in every town. He invariabl}^ takes advantage of
them and asks for " backsheesh" before their inordi-
nate laziness will permit them to get the word out.
He thus forestalls them, and saves his coppers. A
shrewd man is Smith. Perhaps you think I slight
the rest of my fellow-passengers by saying nothing
about them, and speaking altogether of Smith. The
fact is, Smith is the only original character we have
in the party, and the only man in whom I feel a deep
interest. True, Absalom Jones is a " man of parts,"
but then he is not like Smith. I remember one day
our boat arrived at Ossiout, once the capital of Upper
Egypt, and one of the largest cities in the country.
The town lies back perhaps a mile and a half from
the river. As we were to lie there a few hours to
give our crew a chance to have a fresh supply of
bread baked. Smith and myself mounted donkeys
and set oli' in a gallop for the bazaars. On the way
we came up with a crowd of Egyptians in a muss.
A fight seemed inevitable. By the time we got into
the crowd it had actually commenced. Five stal-
wart, half-naked, yellow-skinned dogs were pitching
into one old man, and giving him particular thun-
der. Without waiting a moment, Smith plunged
into the thickest of the fight, and fell to right and

224 HAL'S TRAVELS.

left with liis stick in behalf of the weaker party. I
was somewhat alarmed, for I thought the villains
(either of whom could have demolished their assail-
ant with one blow) seemed disposed to show fight.
Smith heeded them not, however, but laid his stick
unmercifully on their heads and bare shoulders until
the whole five broke and precipitately fled, while
the rescued old man ran as fast in an opposite direc-
tion. A Frank (a term for Europeans and Ameri-
cans) can knock an Arab down with impunity, (un-
less it be a wild Bedouin of the desert,) and fear no
evil, especially if he have a gold band on his cap, as
Smith had.

I would give you a paragraph or two descriptive
of the scenery along the Nile, if there were not
already scores of books devoted to this especial
thing. Travellers generally think themselves bound
to describe scenery — but I don't. One feature, how-
ever, strikes me forcibly. It is the total absence of
timber, or, at least, any thing like wild timber. The
palm is almost the only kind of tree to be met with,
and it is only cultivated for its fruit — the date. A
little accident called my attention more particularly
to this. It was the want of a ramrod. ISTot a stick,
or a limb, or a sprig, or a sprout have we been able
to find in Egypt long enough or straight enough to
make a ramrod even for a short-barrelled fowliDg-
piece. We had not been three days out from Cairo,
when my friend Smith shot away his ramrod. He
then used mine until two days afterward he dropped
it overboard, and we were both left unable to load

iial's travels. 225

our guns, and would liavc continued so but for ii
small walking-cane which ni}^ good friend Tummy
Robinson gave me in London. Tliat little walking-
cane has enabled us to destroy much game.

Many little incidents have occurred along the
way that would be quite amusing if I could do them
justice in the telling. One deliciously pleasant
evening I remember, not many days ago, when our
boat was sailing gently before a quiet breeze, I was
lounging on the "sofa," puffing my chibouk, and
thinking of dear ones far away ; Smith was sitting
by, cleaning his gun, and boasting of the execution
he meant to do on the morrow ; Jones was reading
Prime's travels, and Brown was writing up his
journal. The ladies, Mrs. Smith and Miss Kissiah
Jones, were in their cabin in the arms of Morpheus,
for all we knew. Perhaps it will not be out of
place for me to say here that Miss Kissiah is as nice
a young lady as you would wish to see — neat as a
pin, and lovely enough to be just the sort of com-
pany one would love to have on the Nile. As for
Mrs. Smith, she is inienseli/ nice, and as particular in
all things as ladies ever get to be. The sight of a
cockroach would frighten her, while that horrible
insect known in America as a bedbug would, I
think, almost drive her into spasms. But as I was
saying above, on that delicious evening when we
were all lounging and smoking and reading and
writing, suddenly we heard in the ladies' cabin
something like a faint scream, then a low murmur-

226 hal's teavels.

ing of voices, and then a faint and prolonged "0!"
like some one giving up in despair. Smith recog-
nized the voice, and rushed in. Mrs. S. had gone
off into something like a swoon, while Miss Kissiah
stood by, pale and trembling, holding something
between her thumb and finger wrapped up in a
piece of paper. A tumbler of water brought the
madam to her senses, and an explanation followed.
Mrs. S. had been prying into the secret recesses
and folds of her garments, and had scared up an
animal, the precise species of which she did not
know, but which she had awful suspicions was the
very thing she above all others desired it should not
be. Miss Kissiah held the frightful beast tightly in
the paper between her fingers. It was brought out
for us all to examine. We had no difliculty in de-
ciding that it was indeed the very thing itself that

Mrs. S. had feared it was — to wit, a shall I

write it ? — a but it is suflicient to say that it

was a lineal descendant of the third plague of
Egypt. A general examination followed this dis-
covery, which turned up many more of the same
sort. Mrs. Smith did not make her appearance at
the head of the tea-table that evening. She has lost
her buoyancy of spirits, and her color is fast fading.
She sighs for a return to civilization. Smith deeply
sympathizes with her, and, I regret to say, is not
the man he was. Miss Kissiah takes the unfortunate
discovery more philosophically, and vows heroically
to murder every marauding she catches. This

HAL'S TRAVELS. 227

species of insect abounds plentifully in Egypt, and
he who enjoys the pleasures of Nile travelling must
expect to suiFer its ills.

If I could do it, I would like to give you some
idea of a Mohammedan religious festival — but I
can't. We stopped one day at the city of Girgeh,
where a fifteen days' festival was going on, and it
was a little ahead of any thing I ever saw. As
soon as the boat landed we all hastened up into the
city, if an immense collection of mud-pens covered
with mats and corn-stalks can be called a city.
The streets (if little, narrow, filthy, crooked lanes
can be called streets) were crowded with an im-
mense herd of creatures very much resembling men
and women, cutting up all sorts of monkey-shines,
some singing, some beating instruments resembling
tambourines, others tapping rude drums, and others
snapping their fingers and keeping time by wag-
ging their heads in the most grotesque manner.
In an open space near the river-bank stood a tall
pole with a rag on it, intended for a banner. In a
circle around this pole sat more than a hundred
men, mostly old and grayheaded. Within the
circle sat many more, all with their shoes oft'.
Some were swaying their bodies, and chanting
"Allah-wa, Allah-w^a," while others were talking
vociferously and making furious gestures. Near
this circle was another standing circle of Dervishes,
going through just such ridiculous contortions and
bowlings as we had witnessed in Cairo. In the
court of a mosque hard by was another just such a

228 hal's travels.

crowd. We went into tlie mosque, followed by
about a hundred of the naked and filthy natives,
for it is impossible for a "how^adji" (a gentleman) to
walk in one of these towns without having a bevy
of these animals at his heels, and if he does not
carry a stick or a cowhide or some other defensive
weapon to beat them off, they become oppressively
familiar. As we entered the court of the mosque
the janizary who guarded the entrance fell upon
the crowd at our heels with a huge whip, and beat
some of them unmercifully. Such a yelling and
scampering I never saw before. The janizary then
turned tons and demanded "backsheesh" for the
service he had rendered us. Since then we have
done our own fighting and saved the backsheesh.
This was a fair as well as a religious festival. Tents
and temporary huts of corn-stalks occupied every
available space, where itinerant merchants were
vending the goods, wares, and vegetables peculiar
to the country. On our way back to the boats we
were set upon by a horde of dancing-girls, dressed
in the most gaudy and fantastic style, the fancy
articles being principally worn upon the head, neck
and arms, while the remaining portion of the per-
son can hardly be said to have been dressed at all.
I saw two whose only articles of dress were beads
and head ornaments. These nymphs occupied a
separate group of corn-stalk huts. "We almost had
to fight our w^ay through them. Some of them had
rather good-looking faces ; but I have never yet
seen a really handsome Egyptian woman. They

iial's travels. 229

paint a black streak around their ej-es, which they
imagine adds greatly to their beauty. We finally
fought our way through the "backsheesli"-clamoring
"fair ones," got to our boats, and went on our way
rejoicing.

My friend Smith is lame to-day. Has been hob-
bling about two or three days in the most restless
and impatient manner, cursing because he has not
been able to go ashore shooting. His lameness was
brought about in rather an amusing manner. It
was thus : A couple of our sailors had a falling out
a few nights ago, and finally came to blows. It
was dark on deck, and from the noise and confusion
which reigned, you would have thought that there
were at least fifty in the fight. Not only the two
belligerents were yelling and cursing at the top of
their voices, but the whole thirteen were making
their lungs do service in the most high-pressure
style. The ladies became frightened, not knowing
but a band of roving Bedouins had attacked the crew.
Smith rushed out, and, as is his manner, pitched
into the midst of the fight — for Smith is an impetu-
ous man — and the first thing he knew he didn't
know much of any thing. On the front part of the
deck near the kitchen there is a hatchway, leading
of course down into the hold of the boat. We call
it the "goat-hole," because in there we keep our
mutton and our milk-goat. In the melee Smith
disappeared into tliis "goat-hole," and being some-
what stunned, he lay there until tlie fight was over,
when his head shot up — his iron-gray liair bristling

230 HAL'S TRAVELS.

out like spikes — ^presenting the most ghostlike ap-
pearance that 1 have seen on the Nile. Pale,
wounded, bloody, and immeasurably astounded,
with his bald head peering up from the dark abyss
below, he presented a picture, as revealed by the
one dim candle which had been brought to the
scene, that would have made the fortune of any
comic painter in the world could he have copied it
correctly. We lifted the old gentleman out, bore
him into the cabin, staunched his bleeding nose, ad-
ministered a dose of brandy, all of which restored
him to himself, when he discovered that a piece of
skin about the size of a dollar was missing from the
cap of his right knee. Smith has not hunted ducks,
geese, or pigeons since. Thinks he will be able to
be out to-morrow. I hope so, for we shall probably
arrive at Thebes to-morrow.

"We have met many boats returning from the up-
country during our voyage, two with American
colors, and several with French and English. We
make it a rule to exchange salutes with all we meet.
A day or two ago we met a boat gliding down with
an immense English flag and an extensive streamer
floating in the breeze. "We fired our guns as usual,
and waited and listened, but no response came.
We were evidently " cut." Smith grew farious —
walked the deck, gnashed his teeth, and foamed at
the mouth. Wanted to tack about and give chase,
and vowed by all that was sacred that he would give
them a few guns loaded with something more than
powder. Didn't care, he said, as far as he was

iial's travels. 231

individually concerned, but the American flag had
been insulted, and he was for wiping out the stain
then and there. I have no doubt, if he had met
a Britisher about that time, something would have
happened. Smith is n't afraid. 'We finally got him
cooled down by persuading him that the English-
men had been up the country for some time, and
had in all probability run out of powder.

Yesterday we passed Gheneh, the capital of
Upper Egypt, celebrated only as being the place
where the governor lives, and for the manufacture
of pottery. Before our boat approached within
three miles of the town, we were met by a troop of
donkey-boys, soliciting the privilege of giving us a
ride up to the city. As our boat was going very
slowly — the sailors were towing, there being no
wind — we accepted the invitation, and once more
found ourselves in the saddle scouring away across
the sand}^ plain towards Gheneh, with half-a-dozen
black Nubians yelling at our heels, beating the
donkeys whenever they could get within striking
distance of them. "We dashed into the cit}^ at furi-
ous speed, kicking up a tremendous dust as we
went, jostling and discomposing many a pious
Mussulman, and knocking the long-stemmed pipes
from the mouths of not a few of the leather-headed
Arabs as they thronged the narrow lanes. We
rushed through the bazaars, and then into the out-
skirts, and in less than two hours I think we had
explored the town thoroughly, threading all the
streets and lanes in a lope, to the great astonish-

232 hal's travels.

ment of, and not without serious danger to the
frightened natives. We found that about every
other house was either a manufactory of, or a place
for the sale of pottery. "We were assailed again by
the fancy girls, who actually blocked up the passage
and demanded "backsheesh" in tones of appalling
shrillness, A handsome one — that is, a fat one, for
"fat" and "beautiful" are synonymous terms in
this country — seized the donkey of my good friend
Smith by the bridle, and held on so tenaciously that
Smith surrendered, and actually gave her a piastre.
If it had been a man or a boy, he would have felt
the weight of Smith's stick, but Smith is a gallant
man. After " doing" the town, and laying in a
fresh stock of tobacco, we departed to our boats, to
the no small delight of the quiet citizens. It was
quite a treat to get on the back of a donkey once
more, and we enjoyed it hugely. Riding a good
donkey is the very poetry of motion.

A rather laughable incident occurred on board
our boat to-day. While we were all taking our
after-dinner smoke and siesta, I was aroused by
hearing a very loud quarrel begin between Saide
Demshiri, our captain, and old Hassan, the helms-
man. I went out just in time to see Hassan ap-
proach Saide and give him a box upon the cheek.
JSTow Captain Saide is a young man, twenty-two or
twenty-three years old perhaps, while Hassan is a
venerable old patriarch, M'ho was a helmsman upon
the I^ile before the captain Avas born. Saide being
young and athletic, I expected to see him demolish

hal's travels. 233

old Hassan iustauter, which he was just preparing
to do when the sailors interfered. When Saide
found that he could not get hold of the old fellow,
he was, I think, the most enraged and furious in-
dividual I ever saw. Captain Smith's rage when
the English boat refused to respond to our salute,
was as child's-play compared to Captain Saide's de-
monstrations. His eyes glared like those of a tom-
cat in a dark cellar. He foamed at the mouth like
a hyena. He tore his shirt (the only garment he
had on) from the bosom clear out to the tail ;
snatched off his turban and beat the ground with it,
leaving his closely shaven head (all Egyptians shave
their heads) bared to the burning sun. Took up.
handfuls of sand and threw it in the air ; covered
his head with dirt ; snorted, roared, threw himself
on the ground, and kicked like a spanked child.
Under the command of Hassan, the sailors shoved
off the boat, and we left Captain Saide alone in his
glory, spread out like a huge bull-frog, with his face
in the sand. Our dragoman was on the Hiawatha,
a mile or two ahead, at the time of this occurrence.
His presence Avould have prevented it. He Avill
rejoin us to-night. Captain Saide overtook us two
hours after we left him, but he is still sullen. I
think his chances for a well pair of feet to-morrow
are slim. Achmet is not afraid to resort to the bas-
tinado.

This is our twentieth day on the Nile. We are
now nearins: Thebes and Luxor. Have had no
wind for several days to do any good, but we

234 hal's travels.

will get to Thebes early to-morrow, wind or no
wind.

We have spent no time sight-seeing during our
upward trip, but shall devote some five or six days
visiting antiquities on our return. It will require
five or six days to explore the great ruins here.
Have not determined yet whether we will go farther
up the river or not. Guess not, as we are anxious
to get into Palestine by the middle of March.

Nile-travelling agrees with me well. The flesh-
pots of Egypt have had a wonderful efieet. I am
as fat as a bear, and the pelting African sun has
burnt my face as brown as an Arab's. Farewell.

Hal.

II A L ' S TRAVELS. 235

LETTER XXIV.

EGYPT — THEBES.

My last letter was closed, I think, on the night
of the 14th inst, while the "Hiawatha" and "Min-
nehaha" were lying tied up to the bank of the river
some five or six miles below here. We shoved oft'
bright and early on the following morning, and
moved towards Thebes, our hearts beating high
with the hope of soon looking upon the remains of
what was once, perhaps, the greatest city the world
ever saw — and the oldest, for it was doubtless one
of the first cities built after the flood. We were all
out on deck that morning much earlier than usual,
stretching our necks to catch a sight of the great
portico of Luxor. Mrs. Smith was up before the
sun, and for the first time in many months — perhaps
years — saw that glorious luminary make his per-
sonal appearance above the eastern horizon. Miss
Kissiah was also on the alert. These two ladies were
not on deck, but at their little cabin-windows, gazing
in a Theban direction for a glimpse of the famed
towers of Karnak. While there they saw our favorite
and only cat — the yellow cat which had been the
faithful companion of our voyage, and general pet

236 hal's travels.

of the party — they saw this cat thrown with violence
far out into the stream. This horrible catastrophe
brought forth a scream from Mrs. Smith, and Miss
Kissiah followed her example. But screaming did no
good : Puss had sunk to rise no more. This occur-
rence caused, as well it might, no small stir on
board the "Minnehaha." The ladies had seen the
cat thrown, but had not seen the wicked hand that
did the deed. Inquiry was immediately set on foot,
but nobody seemed to know who the guilty one was.
Suspicion fell upon Mohammed, the black Kubian
cook. Mohammed denied the charge with great
earnestness, and to make his innocence appear more
clear, he swore that there had not been' a cat nor
the shadow of a cat on the boat for two days ; that
he had seen the cat with his own eyes jump over-
board two days before after a fish, when she was
immediately seized and devoured by a ravenous
crocodile. "We all knew that Mohammed was lying
like an Arab, but his cool earnestness was refresh-
ing. Witnesses were then called, when Captain
Saide testified that he had seen Mohammed throw
Puss over. But this was nothing. It requires two
witnesses to establish guilt in this country. Mo-
hammed was on the point of getting oflE* clear, when
Abdallah, our favorite oarsman, came forward and
substantiated the testimony of the captain. Thus
cornered, Mohammed owned up, but justified the
act by asserting that the cat had that very morning
stolen and eaten a chicken and two pigeons which
he was preparing for breakfast. He was dismissed

hal's travels. 237

for the time, but witli tlie assurance of the drago-
man that a settlement would be entered into at
Thebes.

Mrs. Smith was greatly troubled at the loss of
this cat, and so was Miss Kissiah ; not onl}^ on ac-
count of their fondness for Puss, but tliey were
superstitious. They fully believed that some evil
would befall some if not all of the party. Mrs. S.
had never known it to fail, that when a cat was
murdered, some misfortune followed soon after, and
Miss Kissiah had always "heard" the same thing.
Thc}^ have been in trouble ever since.

Early in the day the great ruins loomed up before
us. Our boats were moored under the bank of the
river immediately in front of the porch of the grand
Temple of Luxor. AVith impatience, we hurried
on shore in the very hottest part of the day, (and hot
weather means something in Southern Egypt,) to
view the mighty columns and ponderous towers.
Our wonder and admii'ation were great. We looked
upon the pile before us, and thought of Rome as a
little thing. We looked up at the tall obelisk and
the three colossal statues that stand at the entrance
to the Temple, and wondered what kind of ma-
chinery could have been used to' place them there.
We walked around and through and upon this
vast structure, nor heeded the burning sun, so great
was our enthusiasm. Perhaps you have read, but
have forgotten when and where, of a temple so
large that a populous village now stands in and
upon it. It is the Temple of Luxor. We climbed

238 HAL'S TRAVELS.

up an immense tower which, stands at one of the
gateways, by what had once been a flight of granite
steps, but which are steps no longer, the foot of man
and time having Avorn them away. Standing up
there we had a tine view of the surrounding plains,
the frowning walls of Karnak, two miles distant, and
the two celebrated colossal statues, Memnon and
his nameless companion, standing away across the
river. In descending from this tower, your corre-
spondent slipped and fell, and — got up again — but
which fall came well-nigh putting a period to his
sight-seeing and donkey-riding in Egypt. The ac-
cident was not serious, however, a pair of skinned
elbows and a few bruises being the extent. A half
day's Ij'ing up, and all was right, even to the ability
to ride a donkey at full sjDced. A few minutes
after this accident, and Mrs. Smith had also to be
borne to the boat in a fainting condition, something
like a sun-stroke having overpowered her. A little
brandy and water restored us both in due time.
She was in favor of having poor Mohammed imme-
diatel}' bastinadoed, being more than ever convinced
that the drowning of the cat had caused the acci-
dents, and further predicted that misfortumes would
continue to follow the party ; and then she quoted
the "Hiawathian" lines which run somewhat thus:

"Never jumps a sheep tlicat's frightened
Over any fence whatever,
Over wall, or fence, or timber,
But a second follows after.
And a third upon the second,

iial's travels. 239

And a fourth, and fifth, and so on,
First, a sheep, and then a dozen.
Till they all, in quick succession,
One by one have got clear over.
So misfortunes, almost always.
Follow after one another.
Seem to watch each other, always,
When they see the tail uplifted,
In the air the tail uplifted ;
As the sorrow leapeth over,
So they follow, thicker, faster.
Till the air of earth seems darkened,
"With the tails of sad misfortunes."

I was out very early the next morning. . I had
read and heard of the ancient musical propensi-
ties of the great statue of Memnon, (and who has
not ?) which it is said in ancient times gave forth
musical sounds each morning at the rising of the
sun. I took a position where I could see the sta-
tue and listen, when, as the sun rose and kissed
his time-honored and cold, wrinkled brow, judge
of my surprise when I heard sounds, not truly mu-
sical, but sad and mournful, come floating across
the plains and the river, and dying away in the
tumult of the mud village that lay behind me. I
had thought that Memnon had long since ceased
to be musical, and idle curiosity alone had prompted
me to listen, not that I expected to hear any sound
whatever. My delight was equal to my astonish-
ment when I heard the startling notes. I hurried
to the boat with wide-stretched eyes and palpitat-
ing heart, to inform my friends and give them a
chance to witness the wonderful performance. Smith

240 iial's travels.

was tlie first man out, and lieard the sounds dis-
tinctly ; but a moment after, lie pointed out a wheel
on the opposite side of the river, slowly revolving
to raise water for irrigation, being turned by one
solitary ox. It was making a horrible creaking
noise. I caved at once. That was the music which
had so excited me. Smith had the laugh on me all
that day. Old Memuon sat sublimely silent on his
cold, stony throne, as he has done for thousands of
years.

After breakfast wc all gathered together from
both boats, crossed the river, and set out for the
mountain to see the " Tombs of the Kings." A
crowd of donkeys awaited us, (donkeys wait for you
everywhere in Egypt,) and I saw at a glance that we
should have a seufEe for it. There was just a dozen
of us, and about two dozen donkeys, and each don-
key-boy would do his level best to out-bully his
competitor, and get himself and donkey hired. It
is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of donkey-
boys, for if you do not beat them off, which is next
to an impossibility, they will almost tear you limb
from limb. When our boat landed I sprang upon
the shore, and fell immediately into the hands of
Mohammed Ali and Hassan Asoof. They were stal-
wart fellows, each large enough to carry his diminu-
tive donkey on his own shoulder. Mohammed Ali
swore that he had the best donkey in Thebes, and
that Hassan and his donkey were both humbugs ;
that his own donkey could go like a horse. Hassan
retorted the best he could, and said that his donkey

hal's travels. 241

could not only go like a horse, but could outrun a
jackal. I love a fleet donkey, and was therefore
about to mount Ilassan's, when Mohammed Ali re-
turned to the charge, and swore by Allah (he was a
profane dog) that his donkey could be properly com-
pared to nothing but a steamboat. This decided
me, and I mounted the donkey of Mohammed Ali.
During the quarrel and scuffle they had each held
me by an arm, and had come near pulling them out
of their sockets. I did not have time to notice the
troubles of my companions, but from the noise kept
up, they must have fared worse than I did. We
were all at length in the saddle, and fleeing across the
broad fields toward the mountain where the kings
of Egypt have slept in profound repose for more
than thirty centuries ; old Achmet, the guide, lead-
ing the van, mounted on a donkey which, had it
been weighed in the balance with him, would have
been found wanting. My own donke}-, which Mo-
hammed Ali had said so much resembled a steam-
boat, was the most miserable thing I ever had backed
in Eg3'pt, but little larger and much less nimble
than our milk-goat. I complained of the cheat, but
Mohammed Ali swore more than a hundred times
that it was the best donkey in Thebes, and more
like a steamboat than any thing else. But all the
beating that Mohammed could bestow could not get
him into a gallop. He promised faithfully, how-
ever, that on the next day he would furnish me a
donkey three times the size, and one that could run
like the wind.

242 hal's travels.

It was about two or three hours' ride to the Tombs.
In the way, we passed the ruins of the Temple of
Kooneh, which, like that of Luxor, was built of
enormous stones, every one of which, too, was
covered with hieroglyphics, and images of men, wo-
men, etc. It was, however, comparatively a small
temple. "We spent an hour examining it, by which
time the heat of the day had fully come upon us.
We left the temple, and wound our way up a dreary
gorge of the mountain, while the rays of the sun
seemed to come down a near way upon our de-
voted heads. It was, indeed, a pleasant thing to sit
down in the shadow of a great rock in such a place
and on such a day.

The first tomb we entered is the greatest that has
ever been discovered in Egypt. It is called " Bel-
zoni's Tomb," because it was discovered and opened
by a man of that name. It is entered by a broad
descending passage, which leads into a number of
large and elegantly sculptured and painted cham-
bers, all hewn out in the solid stone mountain, and
decorated with a great number of elegantly wrought
columns which support the roof. The paintings and
sculptures represent all the occupations of life, as
they were carried on three thousand years ago.
There has been but little change since. The dress
of the laboring people was the same then as now,
being nothing but a simple piece of cloth around
the waist, extending about half-way down to the
knees ; the rest of the body is naked. Boats were
rowed and towed upon the Nile then just as they

iial's travels. 243

are yet. Water was carried iu goat-skins, and the
same water-pots were used. In fact, there is no
change or improvement in any thing that I can see
for all that time. This will sound strange to Ameri-
can ears, where changes are occurring and improve-
ments being made almost daily.

Besides Belzoni's, we went into many other large
tombs, all filled with paintings and hieroglyphics
like the first. To attempt a description of any of
tliom would be prosy. These are the tombs in which
man}' of the kings of Egypt were laid, but their
mummied bodies have been removed, and now grace
or disgrace many of the museums of Europe. . We
eat down in the cool shady entrance of a tomb, took
lunch, smoked our pipes, and when the cool of the
evening approached, wended our way towards the
boats.

In returning, another accident occurred, which
again brought up the story of the murdered cat, and
confirmed the superstition of Mrs. Smith. My good
friend Smith was again the victim. Brown and my-
self seeing what appeared to be a freshly-opened
tomb up the side of the mountain, dismounted and
climbed up to it, leaving our donkeys standing in
the road. Brown's was a licentious donke}^ and
was no sooner left to himself than he pitched into
the donkey of Mr. Smith, biting, squealing, pawing,
and snorting; Smith's donkey resented the attack
in such a way as to lay his rider flat on his back on
the hard stony road. Poor Smith has been grunting
ever since, lie refused to pay the donke^^-boy the

244 HAL'S TRAVELS.

usual "backsheesh," (present,) because bis donkey
threw him off. Smith is a shrewd man, and never
will pay the "backsheesh" unless his donkey suits
him — and I have never known him to have a don-
key that suited him yet.

The next day we crossed the river again, and
went into a great many other tombs. "We entered
one into which we had to crawl like lizards, so
small was the opening. It consisted of six cham-
bers, and contained, I would think, not less than a
thousand mummies. I walked upon them, and
heard the bones of some crush under my feet. It
was strange to see bodies so many thousands of
years old wrapped in cloth and undecayed as they
were left by their friends. I sat down upon the
breast of one big old fellow, and unwound the cloth
from the feet of a smaller one, a piece of which I
brought away to carry home with me. Also took
one of their hands for the inspection of some of
mj^ home friends. Smith would not go into this
abode of the dead, but stood at the door trembling,
while the rest of us left him alone. Smith is not
afraid of a living man, but has a mortal dread of
entering a tomb tenanted by dead bodies.

Coming out of this tomb, we descended to the
Memnonium, or ruins of the Temple of Memnon.
This was grand indeed. Its columns were nume-
rous and immense. Every stone inside and outside
of this immense structure is covered with hiero-
glyphics. I do not know how to give you an idea
of the magnitude of an Egyptian temple. The

ual's travels. 245

stones arc so large that von wonder how they were
ever hoisted to their places. Every thing yon sec
is on such a scale that you are struck with amaze-
ment. In the court of this temple lies a hroken
colossal statue of Eameses, so large that when you
see it, you will give up the effort to comprehend its
greatness. To say that it is the largest statue in
the world, will give you no idea of it. It is of
granite. It is thrown down and broken ; thought
to have been done by the Persian conquerors of
Egypt. What means were used to break it, is a
mystery, for gunpowder was unknown in those
days. And if the breaking of it be a mystery,
how much greater is the mystery as to how it was
brought and placed in the court of the temple ! for
it was certainly brought from a great distance, as
there is no red granite in this neighborhood. I
suppose it must be the largest block of hewn stone
in the world. It weighs, according to Murray,
more than eight hundred and eighii/seven tons !

Leaving the Memnonium, we went to see two
great statues which stand in the plain below —
Memnon and his companion. Old Memnon was
still silent, and gazed as coldly and steadily towards
the east as he did three thousand years ago. He
heeds not the rising of the sun, as he did in days
of yore; at least, he gives forth no musical sounds
now, as then. These statues stand, or rather sit, in
a cultivated plain — wheat growing luxuriantly all
around them, with scarcely any traces of the great
city in tlie midst of which they once sat. Their

24:6 HAL'S TEAVELS.

height I do not know. They are perhaps as high
as any house in Huntsville, although in a sitting
posture ! After viewing these statues, we returned
to our hoats, being saluted by the way by all the
laborers in the jB.elds, with, "Backsheesh, howadji !"
a salutation that I have grown sick of hearing.

The Egyptians are all beggars. The first word
the children learn is "backsheesh," and they never
see a "howadji" that they do not scream it out.
If they do you a favor of any kind, they of course
expect "backsheesh;" and if you do them a favor,
they expect the same thing. So it is "backsheesh"
first, last, and all the time. They are all poor
devils, seldom possessing more than the cotton
shirt or breech-clout which hides their nakedness.

Another day has now dawned. Ho for Karnak,
the wonder of the world ! Here are our donkeys,
waiting for us. We mount, and awa}^ I had for-
gotten to mention that Mrs. Smith is no longer
able to ride a donkey. She has now to be carried in a
chair, with a pole strapped to each side, on the
shoulders of four Arabs. She enjoys this new
mode of locomotion hugely. But here we are, at
Karnak. I look up at the great propylon, and feel
a dizzy sensation. Enter the court of the temple,
and my heart leaps with astonishment. Look up
at the enormous columns, and the great stones on
top of them, and am sick with wonder. "What
grandeur ! I was not prepared for it, although
expecting to see the most ponderous ruins in the
world. It is too much for me. Here are in one

ual's travels. 247

Juill one hundred, and twenty-six columns, each
thirty-six feet in circumference, with capitals almost
double the size, and all so elaborately carved ! And
this is only one hall ! There are man}-, many others.
This temple is said to have covered seventy-five
acres of ^'ound ! There were four gateways lead-
ing into it, each of which was approached by long
avenues of Sphynxes. One of these avenues was
two miles long, and connected the two temples of
Ivarnak and Luxor. The Sphynxes are nearly all
thrown down and broken, and thousands of them
buried beneath the soil. Shall I attempt a descrip-
tion of this temple ? Ko. It would fill a book.
If I desired to be exceedingly prosy, and to bore
3'ou unmercifully, I would copy a few pages from
Murray's hand-book, but as I feel kindly towards
you, I shall not do it. Every stone in and about the
temple (and there are enough to build a city) is
completely covered with strange figures and inscrip-
tions. There are so many of them that it is said
they have never even been counted ! In the midst
of this ruin rise two granite obelisks, one ninety-
two feet high, and eight feet square at the base, be-
sides the portion that is buried in the ground !
They are covered with hieroglyphics, cut about
three inches deep, and as well defined as if they
had been cut but yesterday. Hundreds of broken
statues, of every size and description, are lying in
and around this great pile. Some of the paintings
on the stones of the temple look bright and fresh,
as if recently done. Hero arc some stones I have

248 hal's travels.

measured : tliey are tliirty-six feet long, and five feet
square. They formed a gateway, which is now
nearly all thrown down.

"When we look at these ruins, how small all others
seem to us ! "We think of the many broken columns
we saw lying about at Rome as small things indeed.
We have never seen a broken column in Egypt.
They were not made to be broken. "We see many
lying prostrate, but not broken ! They laugh at
the tooth of time, and even earthquakes fail to
rend them. But for the vandal hand of man,
Karnak would have stood whole and entire as long
as time. But alas for destructive man ! The grace
and comeliness of Karnak are gone. But it is only
the fulfilment of prophecy. The Prophets Jere-
miah, Ezekiel, and l!^ahum, all prophesied the
destruction of Thebes, (or "Ko," as it was some-
times called.) Like the other great cities of Egypt,
it has fallen before the wrath of God ! "We spend
the day among these ruins, and return to the boats.

The next day was Sunday. Some of us went
again to Karnak, and some didn't. In the evening
we had religious service, as our custom is, on board
the " Minnehaha."

Monday we crossed the river again to visit the
ruined temple and palace of — of — but the name
would be too hard to write, even if I could remem-
ber it. I will only say that it was an immense pile
of stones and columns, and had once been a build-
ing superior to any thing I had seen out of Egypt.
It dates back as far as the rest of the ruins I had

HAL'S TRAVELS. 249

seen. It was partly built by Ramescs m. The
walls are mostly covered with scenes in the life of
that kins;. After seeins; this we returned to the
neighborhood of the tombs, where the work of re-
surrection is still going on. New tombs are often
found and opened. The whole side of the moun-
tain which overlooks the plain of Thebes is like a
honeycomb, so numerous are the gaping tombs that
have been opened and rifled of their contents. "VYe
entered one which is now used by Mustapha Agah
as a depository for what he finds in his work of re-
surrection. There were several fine mummy cases,
containing bodies which he has recently exhumed.
One of them was the body of a princess. There
was an open mummy -case standing against the
wall, tenanted by a withered body, with its hideous
face uncovered. Mrs. Smith mounted upon the top
of a prostrate sarcophagus, and delivered the follow-
ing address to the defunct Egyptian, which she seemed
to have memorized for the occasion. The address
was written a long time ago by one of the Smith
family — Horace Smith, perhaps :

ADDRESS TO A MUMMY.

And tliou hast walked about (how strange a story !)
In Thebcs's streets three thousand years ago,

When the Memnonium was in all its glory,
And time had not begun to overthrow

Those temples, palaces, and piles stupendous.

Of which the very ruins are tremendous.

Speak ! for thou long enough hast acted Dummy.
Thou hast a tongue — come — let us hear its tunc ;

250 hal's travels.

Tliou'rt staudiug ou thy legs, above-ground, Mummy !

Revisiting the glimpses of the moon,
Not like thin ghosts or disembodied creatures,
But with thy bones and flesh, and limbs and features.

Tell us — for doubtless thou canst recollect —
To whom should we assign the Sphynx's fame ?

Was Cheops or Cephrenes architect

Of either pyramid that bears his name ?

Is Pompey's Pillar really a misnomer ?

Had Thebes a hundred gates, as sung by Homer ?

Perhaps thou wert a Mason, and forbidden
By oath to tell the secrets of thy trade ;

Then say what secret melody was hidden

In Memnon's statue which at sunrise played ?

Perhaps thou wert a Priest ; if so, my struggles

Are vain, for priestcraft never owns its juggles.

Perchance that very hand, now pinioned flat,
Has hob-a-nobbed with Pharaoh, glass to glass ;

Or dropped a half-penny in Homer's hat.
Or doffed thine own to let Queen Dido pass ;

Or held, by Solomon's own invitation,

A torch at the great Temple's dedication.

I need not ask thee if that hand, when armed.
Has any Roman soldier mauled and knuckled,

For thou wert dead, and buried, and embalmed.
Ere Romulus and Remus had been suckled :

Antiquity appears to have begun

Long after thy primeval race was run.

Thou couldst develop, if that withered tongue
Might tell us what those sightless orbs have seen,

How the world looked when it was fresh and young.
And the great Deluge still had left it green ;

Or Avas it then so old that History's pages

Contained no record of its early ages ?

iial's travels. 251

still silent! incommunicative elf!

Art sworn to secrecy ? then keep thy vows ;
But pry thee tell us something of thyself—

Reveal the secrets of thy prison-house;
Since in the world of spirits thou hast slumbered,
AVhat hast thou seen— what strange adventures numbered?

Since first thy form was in this box extended,

We have, above-ground, seen some strange mutations:

The Roman empire has begun and ended.

New worlds have risen — we have lost old nations.

And countless kings have into dust been humbled,

While not a fragment of thy flesh has crumbled.

Didst thou not hear the pother o'er thy head,
Wlien the great Persian conqueror, Cambyses,

Marclied armies o'er thy tomb with thundering tread,
O'erthrew Osiris, Orus, Apis, Isis,

And shook the Pyramids with fear and wonder,

When the gigantic Memnon fell asunder?

If the tomb's seci'ets may not be confessed,

The nature of thy private life unfold:
A heart has throbbed beneath that leathern breast,

And tears adown that dusty cheek have rolled:
Have children climbed those knees, and kissed that face?
What was thy name and station, age and race?

Statue of flesh — Immortal of the dead!

Imperishable type of evanescence !
Posthumous man, who quitt'st thy narrow bed.

And standest undecayed within our presence.
Thou wilt hear nothing till the Judgment morning,
When the great Trump shall thrill thee with its Avarning.

Why should this worthless tegument endure.

If its undying guest be lost for ever?
0 ! let us keep the soul embalmed and pure

In living virtue, that when both must sever,
Although corruption may our frame consume,
The immortal spirit in the skies may bloom!

252 hal's travels.

Mustapha drives a good business opening tombs
and selling the contents. Eich jewels are some-
times found in the sarcophagi with the dead bodies.

Mustapha Agah is a high functionary in Thebes.
From the battlements of his house (a mud edifice
standing just behind the great columns of the for-
mer porch of the Temple of Luxor) float both the
flags of Great Britain and America. He is con-
sular agent for both nations. So Mustapha is a
great man among the Thebans — higher than the
governor himself. I shall long remember Mus-
tapha, and so will every American who visits
Thebes — especially if he drinks cofiee and smokes
the fragrant lataika. Mustapha never fails to fur-
nish his visitors with the chibouk and coflfee in true
Eastern style. Mustapha is a quiet, pleasant man,
perhaps fifty years old, and as black as the ace of
spades. He speaks pretty good English, but can
neither read nor write. You may think it strange
that a United States consul should be unable to
read, but then you must remember that Mustapha
is in Egypt, and fully competent to attend to all
matters likely to come before him, without the aid
of letters.

The time has now almost come for our departure.
This evening, ere the twilight dews begin to fall, we
shall bid farewell to Mustapha, and to the remains
of what was once a city of a hundred gates ! Mus-
tapha has loaded his little cannon, and will doubt-
less give us a parting salute, for he pays marked
respect to Americans. All the guns and pistols on

hal's travels. 253

board the "Hiawatha" and " ISIiimchaha" are in
readiness for one grand discharge. "We shall pro-
ceed to Grand Cairo, which will occupy from two to
three weeks, as we have several stoppages to make
along the way. From Cairo we shall make a break
for the Holy Laud. Will write you again from
Cairo.

We have spent six days in Thebes, which is little
time enough to see the ruins here. Those who have
ample time should sta}- longer. To those who come
here I commend the chibouk and coffee of Mustapha
Agali at the British and American Consulate.

But evening approaches, and I must close. The
"Minnehaha" has been set in order, and will soon
be afloat upon the turbid bosom of the Nile towards
the Great Sea. She has many hundred miles to
float. If I kill a crocodile on the downward voyage,
I shall make a note of it. Farewell.

Hal.

254 hal's travels.

LETTER XXV.

THEBES TO THE PYRAMIDS.

Most glorious is life upon the Mle ! I have tra-
velled in almost every way that man ever travelled :
have footed it upon the broad plains of the far
West ; have dashed across the same plains on the
wild Mustang ; have floated upon the bosom of the
mighty Mississippi in steamers little less than
palaces ; have descended the beautiful Tennessee
on the primitive "broad-horn ;" whizzed from one
end of the Union to the other on the " iron steed;"
have been towed upon the " raging canal ;" steamed
across the billowy Atlantic; traversed the wild
regions of Switzerland, and crossed the towering
Alps, in the great lumbering diligence ; rode upon
the restless bosom of the blue Mediterranean ;
rocked through the desert on the back of the fleet
dromedary, and galloped over many, many miles on
the nimble-footed donke3^ In all these ways have
I travelled; but for luxurious pleasure, none of them
begin to compare with a snug boat upon the Nile.
Kile-travelling is "first-class" poetry, compared with
which all other modes are commonplace prose, and
that of the most prosy kind.

iial's travels. 255

This is now tlic eiglitli or ninth week that we
have heen in blissful ignorance of the world. We
have no cares except to eat, drink, and sleep. "We
are neither cursed with news nor newspapers.
Neither pay nor receive visits from gossiping
neighbors ; nor does the post or carrier-boy leave
the daily or weekly paper at our door. Therefore
we are happy. We pity our poor deluded friends
in America who keep themselves "posted" by
reading the papers, and distress themselves sorely
when things don't go to please them. Some we
know are miserable because they see horrible spec-
tres of the " glorious Union busted up" and clean
gone ; while other poor devils are utterly miserable
because of their inability to bring about said "bust-
up." Other some distress themselves grievously in
view of the making of the next President, while
ghosts and goblins dire haunt the visions of those
"illustrious self-sacrificing patriots" who have sig-
nified their willingness to yield to the wishes of
their countrymen, and to be placed in the Presi-
dential chair. And what painful anxiety must
weigh upon those benevolent men who take it upon
themselves to arrange and pack committees and
delegates for the national farce (by courtesy called
" convention") preparatorj'^ to making a President !
I say, I pity j'ou, my enliglitencd friends — from my
soul I do. Would that you could have a few weeks
respite upon the Nile from the painful cares that
beset you !

To give you some idea of our ignorance — and

256 HAL'S TRAVELS.

consequent bliss — I will inform you that we do not
even know who is Speaker of the House of Repre-
sentatives, or whether it has a Speaker at all. We
heard in Rome (that was a long time ago) that Con-
gress had met, and would proceed to organize, if
such a thing were possible, but up to this time we
have not heard the result. We have ceased to
trouble ourselves with either speaking or thinking
of politics, and I almost dread to see the time come
when the state of public affairs in Uncle Sam's do-
minions shall be forced upon me. Two or three
weeks ago I ventured to ask my friend Smith what
his ideas were about the state of politics at home.
I saw a cloud of any thing but pleasure darken his
brow; he puffed his chibouk viciously for a few
moments, and then, with an emphasis peculiar only
to Smith, he replied, "D — n politics!" I said no
more, and he continued to puff furiously. I thought
strange of this, for Smith was a rampant politician
when I first knew him. But such is the effect of
travelling in the East — especially upon the Nile.

But this is not telling you of our downward voy-
age from Upper Egypt. Twelve days ago, just as
darkness was settling down upon the ancient city of
Thebes — but while it was yet high noon in Hunts-
ville — the Hiawatha and Minnehaha were loosed
from their moorings under the towering portico of
grand old Luxor, and floated out into the stream,
when six guns from the boats announced their de-
parture for the lower country. These guns were
responded to by the burning of a pound and a half

hal's travels. 257

of Eg3'ptian powder by old Mustaplia, whoso little
cannon thundered forth a report that was echoed by
the mountains and cavernous tombs miles away
across the river, and we were* off, gliding away from
the city of forty centuries, which was falling into
ruins, perhaps, while the seven hills of Rome were
yet a wilderness.

Our progress down the river was slow indeed,
owing to adverse winds, and it was not until the
afternoon of the following day that we reached the
city of Ghena, in the neighborhood of which stands
the old Temple of Dendera, one of the lions of
Egypt that must needs be seen by all travellers who
ascend the Nile. "We of course found the omni-
present donkeys waiting for us — they are always
waiting, and such donkeys ! Wish I could send
you a picture of our party as we mounted those don-
keys and rode away. You would laugh some. Three
of the twelve had bridles, and five had saddles, two
of the saddles had stirrups, the rest did n't. The
donkeys were of the smallest breed, and almost as
woolly as sheep, which they resembled, except the
ears. When mounted by their riders, little could be
seen but their head and part of their tail. The ears
were all the portions visible of those ridden by the
ladies — the flowing skirts concealing all else. The
donkc}^ on which Miss Kissiahwas mounted, though
diminutive, was a vicious little scoundrel, and man-
aged early in the excursion to spill his precious
burden upon the ground. She bravely remounted,
however, and with two Arabs to hold her on, and a
9

258 HAL'S TRAVELS.

third to lead, slie managed to stick to him until our
return to the boats. Smith's donkey got him oS
twice — (Smith always gets thrown ofi*) — once by fall-
ing, and the second tirfie by lying down. His driver
got a sound cursing, but no "backsheesh" that day.

The Temple of Dendera is comparatively of mod-
ern date, being perhaps something less than two
thousand years old ! Some portion of it is said to
have been built by Cleopatra, and one of the walls
is adorned with a sculptured portrait of that queen
in bas-relief. Her son, by Julius Ccesar, is standing
by her. Like all other Egyptian temples, it is a
massive building, every stone of which is carved
with images and hieroglyphics. The architecture is
magnificent. With the exception of Karnak, it con-
tains some of the largest columns I have seen in
Egypt. This temple is almost perfect, but much of
it is hid by the ruins of the mud-built city that once
surrounded it. The rubbish has all been removed
from the interior, and the immense halls stand va-
cant and desolate, tenanted only by bats and owls.

Finishing up the Temple of Dendera, we returned
to our boats through luxurious wlieat-fields — cut
loose and floated away, with the sincere desire that
the next party of travellers may find better donkeys
than we found. Three days after, we brought up at
the city of Girgch, the place where we had stopped
on the upward trip to see the Dervishes and' the
dancing-girls. We did n't take donkeys here, but
determined to "do" the town on foot. We formed
in single column, and marched through the bazaars,

hal's travels. 250

stared at and followed by a hundred shirt-tail na-
tives. The ladies of our party were regarded with
admiration, and would have been crowded almost to
suttbcation if we had not kept the crowd back by
flourishing our sticks, and occasionally cracking the
heads of the more curious. They stand in mortal
dread of the cane or "koorbash" of a "howadji."
A koorbash is a keen whip, made of the liide of
rhinoceros.

The people of Girgeh are not the most noted of
Egyptians for cleanliness. Indeed, they may be
called, by fastidious people, filthy. It was soon after
our visit to this city on the way up that the horrible
discovery of the nameless vermin was made among
us. Mrs. Smith made the discovery on that occa-
sion, and she continues to affirm to this day that
they came from Girgeh, which is probable. Re-
turning to our boats after this our second visit, which
had been made with the utmost caution, a proposi-
tion was made that a general examination be gone
into. It was done, and the result was horrifying.
The ladies retired to their cabins, and were not long
in finding abundant evidence of the presence of the
enemy. The gentlemen stripped, and were equally
successful. There were voices of lamentation that
evening on board the Minnehaha, which were
heartily responded to from the portals of the Hia-
watha. The ladies almost sobbed, so great was their
distress. The gentlemen laughed, and tried to make
a joke of it ; but the laugh was dry enough, and the
ladies refused to be comforted. Smith, as his cus-

260 hal's travels.

torn is, tried to be witty on the occasion. Smith is
always trying to be witty. lie said " there was no
nse trying to disguise the fact : that we were a lousy
set." This remark brought a shower of indignation
upon Smith's head from the ladies, each of whom
called him a "brute." And it was a brutal remark ;
but Smith is a practical man, and believes in calling
things by the right name. There is generally some
truth in what Smith says, however homely his lan-
guage. His wit is not always apparent.

Towards night we loosed from Girgeh, and floated
down the river, carrying with us vivid imjyressions of
its inhabitants. In due course of time — I don't re-
member how long — we arrived at Ossiout, the largest
city in Middle Egypt. Here we of course found
donkeys in waiting, and were not long in mounting
and setting off for the mountains which lie just back
of the city. Our object was to visit the tombs which
honeycomb the solid stone cliffs. There are a great
many of them, some very large, say forty by fifty
feet square, smoothly cut in the solid rock, and
adorned with thousands of hieroglyphics and figures
in bas-relief on the walls. Seated on some loose
stones in the largest one of these tombs we sung
several hymns, (it was the Sabbath day,) winding up
with some good old camp-meeting songs, after which
we departed and went into the city. Passing
through the bazaars, we found the crowd so dense
that we were obliged to dismount and send our don-
keys round another way, while we crowded through
on foot. "We met a funeral-procession, the largest

hal's travels. 261

I have seen. It was led by banners and drums.
The body Lay upon an open bier, and immediately
following were about fifty mourning-women, whose
hideous yells were terrifying. I never heard such
weeping. You would have thought the heart of
each and every one of them was in the very act of
breaking snap in two. They were hired for the
occasion, and seemed determined to earn their
wages.

In one of the bazaars of this city I saw the first
really handsome Egyptian woman that I have met
with. If I could wield the pen of a modern novel-
writer, I would endeavor to give you some idea of
her beauty ; for nothing short of that could do her
justice. "Were I to say that her sparkling black
eyes shone like diamonds, and her teeth like pearls,
it would not be exaggeration. ISTor would it be
more than just to say that her swelling bosom and
beautifullj^-rounded arm were such as a Venus
might have envied. No Grecian beauty ever pos-
sessed features more regular. Showers of coal-
black tresses fell in rich profusion upon her grace-
ful neck, and lay nestling upon her voluptuous
bosom, just enough of which was exposed to make
one anxious to see more. She was dressed in rich
Oriental costume, with full flowing silk trowsers,
clasped at the ankles with heavy gold bands. Her
head, neck, bosom, and wrists were adorned with
golden trinkets, elegantly wrought into various
devices. I suppose the solid gold ornaments she
wore were worth, by weight, at least a thousand

262 HAL'S TRAVELS.

dollars. The gracefulness with which she sat, and
the mild and modest expression of her beautiful
face, belied the calling of this fair creature ; for she
was a woman of the town, sitting in the market-
place, waiting to be hired.

Leaving Ossiout, we next halted at Eckmien, a
town containing twenty-five or thirty thousand in-
habitants, without .counting the dogs, of which
latter there seemed to be several regiments. All
Egyptian towns swarm with dogs. Eckmien is
noted for nothing in particular, so far as I know,
except as being the place where General Adem Bey
is stationed with the flower of the army of Egypt.
Here is the first division of the army, and the
favorite soldiers of the Pasha. They are all
I^ubians, and as black as night ; but, black as they
are, a finer-looking body of men I never saw, the
least one of which is six feet high, and as straight
as an Indian. Adem Bey, the commander, is a
noble-looking man, standing six feet six in his
stockings, and wearing a fierce moustache. He is
a brave soldier, and one of the first ofiicials in the
Government. Besides being commander of the first
division of the army, he is at present acting as Deputy
Governor of this portion of Egypt. As to color,
General Adem Bey is as black as a stack of black cats
in a dark cellar at midnight, but has, withal, a mild
and pleasant face. Soon after we landed at Eck-
mien, my friend Smith proposed that we pay a
formal visit to this dignitary. I agreed, of course.
So, taking our dragoman, we sallied forth towards

HAL'S TRAVELS. 263

the encampment, not, however, until we had put
on clean linen, and Smith had donned his regiment-
als. Smith would carry his gun. He always car-
ries his gun. As we reached the encampment, and
were passing up an avenue between rows of white
tents and black soldiers, approaching the marque
of the General, who had seen us coming from a
distance, and dispatched two servants to welcome
us to his quarters, it was then and there that Smith
compromised the dignity of both of us, and came
well-nigh turning our pompous visit into a farce.
It was in this wise : Just as the General was ad-
vancing to welcome us, in true Eastern style, (for
my companion's gaud}' gold lace and gilt buttons
had inspired him with profound respect, if not
awe,) Smith, seeing a flock of pigeons some hun-
dred or two 3'ards away, broke towards them in a
brisk run ; nor would he stop until he had shot at
them. lie missed, of course, and then came puffing
and blowing back to the tent, evidently pleased that
he had had a shot at the birds. The General sup-
pressed a smile, while the servants almost burst
with laughter. I confess that my face burnt with
mortification, but Smith heeded none of these
things. Our dragoman introduced us, giving my
friend the title of Colonel. Smith seized the hand
of the General, and gave it a genuine Yankee
shake. We were invited to seats on the voluptuous
divan, by the side of our entertainer, while servants
brought us coffee and chibouks. AVe smoked and
chatted with his sable highness for nearly an hour,

264 HAL'S TRAVELS.

and found him to be a man of no mean capacity. He
had heard of America, and had an impression that
it was a great country, but far, O very far away !
Said he was glad to see Americans, and hoped we
had enjoyed our visit to Egypt. Smith did his best
to impress the fact upon our host that Americans
were the greatest people in the world, and flatter-
ingly insinuated that the ISTubians might rank next.
This flattering speech pleased the General wonder-
fully, and the servants were immediately ordered to
refill the pipes and coflee-cups. He showed us his
arms and accoutrements ; also those of his soldiers.
Had all his musical instruments brought in and
pompously exhibited. Expressed much regret that
our visit had fallen upon the Moslem Sabbath,
(Friday ;) otherwise he would have given us a
chance to review his soldiers on parade. Would
also have treated us to a musical entertainment,
and a characteristic JSTubian dance. But the Koran
forbade these performances on Friday, and we had
to forego the pleasure. Our visit to Adem Bey was
an agreeable one, and but for the approach of even-
ing, would have been prolonged. Smith more than
ever believes in the power of gold lace and gilt but-
tons, being assured that it was his uniform that in-
sured our welcome.

Leaving Eckmien, our next stopping-place was
Beni-Hassen, where once stood a considerable
town ; but a few years ago it was destroyed, and its
inhabitants all killed by Ibraham Pasha, except a
very few, who escaped by running the gauntlet.

HAL'S TRAVELS. 265

Notliiug now remains but the blackened, crumbling
walls. The cause of the destruction of this town
and people, was their thievish and marauding pro-
pensities. It had become dangerous for travellers
to stop there to see the many large and curious
tombs in the neighborhood, and consequently the
Pasha sent his soldiers and wiped it out of exist-
ence. The tombs in the mountain back of this town
are man}' and curious ; some very large, and nearly
all adorned with paintings — better executed than
most I have seen elsewhere. One of these tombs
is peculiarl}^ interesting, because it is thought by
many that it is the same in which the body of
Joseph rested until the exodus of the Israelites.
One of the walls bears a painting, which it is
thought represents the arrival of Jacob and his
sons and their families into Egypt, and their pre-
sentation to Pharaoh. The number of figures in the
painting corresponds with the number of Israelites
upon their first arrival. Their flocks and herds and
little ones are all represented. It may or may not
be Joseph's, but it is at least a very interesting
tomb. It is about forty-five feet square, and per-
haps fifteen feet to the ceiling, which is supported
by several columns.

Below Beni-Hassen we stopped at ]\Iinych, and
visited a very large sugar-manufactory, in which are
employed six hundred men. It is managed by
French and Russians. "We strolled about the town
some time, but nothing turned up worthy of note.
Nearly half the people of Minyeh seem to be one-

266 HAL'S TRAVELS.

eyed, and dogs are numerous. Our next stop was
at Benisooef, the lirst important town above Cairo.
"We landed about two miles from the town, which
being rather an out-of-the-way place, there were no
donkeys present (a wonder!) to carry us into the
city. We footed it. Went through the bazaars,
and laid in a fresh supply of pipes and tobacco.
Heard a quarrel there which exceeded any thing
in the way of a war of words I ever heard. An old
woman was pitching into a shopkeeper in the most
approved high-pressure style. The scene was ludi-
crous beyond description. At first the tongue of
the man went like a bell-clapper, but he soon wilted
before that old woman. She assumed a thousand
grotesque shapes and attitudes, swaying her arms
in. the air like winding blades, while her long bony
fingers contracted and expanded, and clutched, as
though she was tearing the very w^ind-pipe from the
neck of her antagonist. Her eyes glared like those
of an enraged hyena, while she champed her teeth
and foamed at the mouth like a rabid wild boar.
She yelled like an Indian, and drew her lean swarthy
face into a myriad of frightful contortions. All the
time the words flew like bullets, and seemed to
take efiect, for the man grew perceptibly less at
every onslaught. When the old woman was ex-
hausted and nearly ready to fall, a young, athletic
woman, about the size of a jackass, and almost as
stout, came to her relief, and continued the war in
the same strain, until a man in authority approached
and put an end to the fun. At the close of this

HAL S TRAVELS.

267

quarrel we hurried to our boats, and floated dowa
the river.

It is now the fourteenth day since we left Thebes.
Our progress has been slow, head winds having
greatly impeded our course. Our amusements and
pastimes coming down have been about the same
as when going up — shooting, running, jumping, and
kicking up our heels generally. Yesterday being
Sunday, our little party of twelve met on board the
Hiawatha, and while you were sleeping and per-
chance dreaming in Huntsville, we worshipped God
in the old home fashion, with prayers, and hymns,
and spiritual songs — the astonished Arabs standing
round and looking on with wonder, as we bowed
before tlie throne of grace.

THE PTRAMinS.

We are now irettiiisr in tlie neighborhood of the
pyramids. Already thoy begin to loom up in the

268 hal's travels.

distance, and the head of the great Sphynx is peer-
ing above the sand-hills ; hut as the wind is strong
against us, we shall not reach them before to-morrow,
perhaps. After I have seen and climbed some of
them, I will write you another letter.

Yours, etc., Hal.

iial's travels. 200

LETTER XXVI.

PYRAMIDS TO JERUSALEJI.

Prepare for a long stride — from the Nile to Jeru-
salem— for tins letter iimst cover all the time and
space intervening since my last letter — which, if I
remember rightly, was closed late one evening,
many days ago, as we floated down the Nile in
sight of the pyramids of Sakhara and Dashore. It
was the next morning after the close of that letter,
I was aroused early by my friend Smith, (who is al-
ways up with the lark,) and told that we were near
the pyramids. I stuck my head out of the window,
and found the nose of the Minnehaha stuck in the
mud on the west bank of the river, and the gallant
Hiawatha moored alongside — sails all furled. In
the distance were the pyramids, just gilded by the
rising sun. All our party were soon astir, and Mo-
hammed was ordered to hurry up his cakes, that we
might have an early breakfast and be ofl". Moham-
med Avas unusually spry that morning, and by seven
o'clock we were ready to start.

Now, my friend, if you feel inclined to travel, you
may imagine yourself one of our party, and make
the excursion with us. Here arc the donkeys wait-

270 hal's travels.

ing for us. You may mount tliis little mouse-
colored one. 'No matter about a bridle — a donkey-
boy will guide him for you with a stick. Your
saddle has no stirrups, but that is all right in Egj^Dt.
"With Achmet ahead, we will strike out through
this large palm-grove. Half an hour's ride, and here
we are in the midst of the ruins of old Memphis, or
Noph. We look around upon desolation. See
nothing here but stupendous piles of broken bricks
and fallen walls, with here and there a broken
image half buried in the earth. "We think imme-
diately of the prophecies concerning this once proud
city : "For Noph shall be waste and desolate, with-
out an inhabitant;" and again, "I will destroy the
idols, and will cause their images to cease out of
Noph." How literally fulfilled ! The images and
idols are all prostrate and mutilated. We see but
one that is worth pausing to look at ; it is a colossal
statue of liameses Second, which, when standing,
was between forty and fifty feet high. It is fallen
now, and its feet broken ofi" — otherwise perfect.

We will hurry on now to the pyramid of Sakhara
— some two hours' ride farther. See how it grows
upon us as we approach it ! Is it not immense ? And
yet it is a small afi:air compared with the one we will
see to-morrow — Cheops. But even this would be the
w^onder and admiration of the world if there w^ere
none larger. Our dragoman says we cannot ascend
this pyramid. We don't believe him — so here w^e go !
He is alarmed, and swears more than a hundred times
that we will fall and break our necks. He lies, for

hal's travels. 271

here we are on the very pinnacle, waving our hats
at the astonished Smith, who broke down wlien
half-way up, and returned to the ground to keep
the ladies company.

But let us return to the earth now, and go to the
tomb of Apis — the cavern in which were deposited
the sacred bulls worshipped by the ancient Egyp-
tians. It is near by. Let us look to our pistols,
for we have read Mr. Prime's account of the attack
upon himself and party, by a hundred and tifty
Arabs, when he visited this tomb. True, he and
his bold dragoman put them all to flight, and walked
into the cavern without molestation ; but they may
have picked up some courage since then, and may
not be so easily routed as when bearded by the fierce
"Brahccm Efi:endi." "We are all armed, and Smith,
besides his gun, has got the hatchet from the boat,
and the carving-knife belonging to our table furni-
ture ; while Brown carries his volcanic repeater in one
hand and spiked Alpenstock in the other, looking
meanwhile as savage as a thunder-storm. The rest
of us carry each a cop}' of Colt's best stuck in our
belts. Brave indeed must be the hundred and fifty
Bedouins who attack our party ! Now, in solid
phalanx we move on, Smith nobly leading the van.
We approach the cavern, but see not the enemy.
Keep a sharp look-out : they may be behind those
sand-hills, ready to pounce upon us. We halt, and
send Jones ahead to reconnoitre. He returns and
reports the coast clear. All right ! Let us enter.
There is " nary" Bedouin about. No doubt Prime's

272 iial's travels.

demonstration, and his threat to throw the old sheik
of the tribe "over the river into the Red Sea," fright-
ened them clean away entirely. The brave " Effendi"
deserves the thanks of all travellers for frightening
away this band of thieves.

But is not this a tremendous hole in the ground ?
See, it is a finely finished gallery, cut in the living
rock, two or three hundred yards in length. Here
are twenty-five niches in the sides, each one con-
taining a mammoth sarcophagus, in which the
bodies of the sacred bulls were placed after being
embalmed. Most of the sarcophagi have been
opened, and the bull mummies removed. One of
them is in l^ew York, in Dr. Abbott's collection
of Egyptian antiquities. Here is a richly finished
chapel in which is the broken image of a calf, and a
prostrate Egyptian before it. Don't you suppose
it was this custom among the Egyptians that first
suggested to Aaron the idea of making a golden
calf? Very likely, you say.

AYell, w^e have now explored this tomb, let ns
return to the light of da}^ and take lunch, for I am
hungry. Here, we will eat in the cool shade in the
mouth of the tomb — rest till the cool of the evening,
and return to our boats.

Ghezeh ! Yes, here we are at Ghezeh. We
floated down here last night after returning to our
boats from the Bull Tombs. Yonder are the pyra-
mids of Cheops and Belzoni, and we are all in a
fidget to be off. These are better donkeys than we

HAL'S TRAVELS. 273

had yesterday, and we will set oiF in a brisk gallop.
The pyramids seem just out yonder, but they are
six miles away. Were you ever so deceived in
distance ? But at this gait, it will not take long to
get there. Stirrups and bridles are luxurious ap-
pendages to donkeys — are they not ? Now we near
the base of old Cheops. Here we pass by the great
Sphynx, about which we have read, and whose
picture we have so often looked at in Olncy's Geo-
graphy. Although it is a perfect figure hewn out
of a mountain, and one of the most wonderful things
in the world, we will not stop to see it now, but
hasten to the pyramid, which is more wonderful
still. Are you not astonished and bewildered?
Do you not wilt right down before this, the greatest
work ever conceived by man ? I do. I feel op-
pressed— a sensation something akin to nightmare —
and not the least inclination towards an effort to
comprehend the great pile. Kow, first, before wo
yield ourselves into the hands of these savage-look-
ing Arabs, who wait here to carry travellers to the
top of the pyramid, let us ride around and view it
on all sides. Wonderful ! wonderful ! you exclaim ;
and so it is. To give our friends at home some
idea of its size, I think we may say that its base
covers four times as much ground as the public
square of Iluntsville ! — perhaps more — certainly not
less.

But here we are now, in a crowd of a hundred
Arabs — great stalwart fellows. What a scufiie !
Each one claims the privilege of conducting us to

274 hal's travels.

the top of the pyramid ; and we shall be fortunate
if we get out of their hands with whole bones. We
are clutched by as many as can possibly get hold of
us at a time, and each one seems determined to
hold his grip. Fighting with donkey-boys is child's-
pla,y to this. But here comes the old sheik of the
tribe to our rescue. He orders our tormentors to
desist, and appoints two for each of us, who hurry
us rapidly from rock to rock up the rugged steep
before us. Pausing to rest when about one-fourth
of the .way up, we see all our party winding their
way up behind us, except Smith. He is still at the
base, fighting with the Arabs. Before reaching
here he swore roundly that no yellow-skinned devil
of an Arab should carry him up the pyramid ; that
he had failed yesterday to reach the top of Sakhara,
and that he would to-day go up Cheops unassisted,
to retrieve his character — for Smith is an ambitious
man. He tights bravely, but in vain, for it is not
the Arab policy to let any one go up without aid
and "backsheesh." Poor Smith is exhausted, and
is now borne up the rugged height in the arms of
his tawny friends. He has ceased to struggle, but
swears at every step that he will not pay them
a cent for their labor. iNow here we are at the top,
higher than we ever were before, being nearly two
hundred yards from terra firma. On top is a plateau
twenty feet square perhaps, so that we can sit and
rest and look about securely. People on the ground
do not seem to us near so large as grasshoppers.
From here we have a fine view of Cairo and the

hal's travels. 275

Nile — and to the west we see away off for perhaps
a hundred miles into the great Lih3^an desert.

We now descend, and go into the heart of this
great pile of stone. This part of our da3^'s work
will not leave a favorable impression. "We shall
only remember it as a laborious winding and crawl-
ing through dark, hot, dusty labyrinths, where suf-
focation seemed almost inevitable. We find two
large chambers, one called the King's, and the other
the Queen's tomb. This is all.
• Smith, you observe, has got over his passion, and
is in excellent humor. Instead of refusing to pay
the fellows who carried him up the pyramid, he
has paid them more than double. They have been
expatiating upon the beauty of Mrs. Smith, and
have thereby struck the old gentleman in a tender
place — for Smith has his weak points.

We will now lunch and rest, after which Ave will
return to our boats, marvelling at the greatness of
the works of Egypt. It will be night when we get
there, and so we will sleep as we float down the river.

Cairo, the Grand ! the jSIagnificent ! the Beauti-
ful ! Here we are again in " Cairo the Victorious !"
How delightful to get once again into a fine city,
after wandering for Aveeks among mud- huts and
squalid villages ! How gay the streets, and Avith
what glee Ave mount the tat, round Cairo donkey,
and dash through them ! This pleasure almost
counterbalances tlie regrets aa'C experience in leav-
ing our dear little " Minnehaha," in Avhich we have

276 hal's travels.'

dwelt with so mucti ease and delight for more than
six weeks. The removal is a sad one, hut the bustle
and gayety in this great city of five hundred thou-
sand people will soon dispel the sadness.

We take rooms at the "Hotel des Pyramides,"
and will now be o& for a ride. Here we go, down
the street, full speed to the park, or great square, by
the "Hotel d' Orient." Hold! "Halloo, Captain!
is that you ? Sure enough it is ! Captain Jim
Williams, of Tennessee, United- States Minister to
the Sublime Porte. Glad to see you. Captain.
Give us your hand. You are looking remarkably
well. First home-face I 've seen in the East. Just
from Constantinople, eh ? Waiting here for your
family, who have gone up the Nile ? Yes, we heard
of them up there. Return home in eight days, do
you ? Thank you. We will call at the Legation,
when we reach the Golden Horn. 'No ; we have
heard no news from home for many weeks, nor do
we seek any. Don't tell us any, if you please.
Sorry you told us of the election of Speaker of the
House of Representatives. Thank you. We will
call at 3^our room this evening, and get what informa-
tion you can give us about travelling in Syria, as you
have recently taken a tour in that country. We
leave for Jerusalem in three days. Good-day !"

We spend three or four days in Cairo, shopping
and riding and walking, visiting mosques and such
places of interest as we failed to see when here
before.

hal's travels. 277

Now let us be off for Alexandria ; for the steamer
sails from there to-morrow for Joppa, and we must
be on hand. We go to the depot and buy our tickets
from a big black nigger, who cheats us out of several
pennies, in making change. There are only ten of
us now — t^vo of our party, Mr. and Mrs. S., pas-
sengers of the Hiawatha, having stopped in Cairo.
We give them up with much regret. The train
reaches Alexandria about eleven o'clock at night,
and we again domicile at the India Hotel. Smith of
course quarrels with the landlord, and beats him
down in his prices. Smith always argues the great
difference between wholesale and retail, and gene-
rally gains his point. It would be hard for our
party to get along without Smith, although I must
confess that I am sometimes seriously provoked
with him.

The time has now come for us to go aboard the
steamer. We all settle our bills at the hotel, except
Mr. Smith, who seriously disputes his, because
there is an item of sixpence in it that he contends
ought not to be there. lie swears he will not pay
it, and the landlord swears he shall. We start for
the door, but Smith is stopped by the landlord,
backed by all the servants about the hotel, from the
head-waiter down to the bar-tender. The door is
closed on him, and, by main force, they wrench the
entire sum of sixpence from the enraged Smith,
before permitting him to depart. I will not say
that they frightened the brave Smith, but then a
dozen stalwart waiters, including the cook, with a

278 hal's travels.

huge butclier-knife, is not just tlie crowd for one
man to contend with, when a sixpence will settle
the difficulty. The old gentleman thinks a little
hard because the rest of us did not back him in the
fight ; but I guess he will get over it soon. "We are
all glad of it ; for penuriousness is his besetting sin,
and we wanted to see him taken down.

We have a smooth and pleasant sail of thirty-six
hours, when the towers of Jaflfa (ancient Joppa)
loom up before us. The country before us is Pales-
tine ! We are about to tread upon holy ground.
We hardly realize it, but it is so. We leave the
steamer and go ashore in small boats, and here we
are, actually in Joppa — a city that is said to have
existed even before the flood, and to be the very
place where !N"oah built the ark. It was at this
port that Hiram, King of Tyre, landed the cedar
timbers which he sent from Lebanon, for the build-
ing of Solomon's temple. Hiram and Solomon
were very great friends. This, too, is the place
where Jonah came, when he wanted to run away,
to keep from going to Mneveh to preach. He
found a ship about to sail for Tarshish, and — but
you know the story about the whale. The Apostle
Peter came down here once, and lodged with one
Simon, a tanner, who had his tan-yard somewhere
by the seaside. Part of the house of Simon you
see standing here yet, and here in the court is a
well, by which stands a very large stone trough,
which they tell us was a vat used by Simon for tan-
ning leather. Peter had a remarkable dream while

iial's travels. 279

sleeping upon the top of this house, an account of
which you will find by reading the ninth chapter of
Acts. During that same visit Peter performed a
wonderful miracle — even the raising of Tabitha
from the dead. Joppa, you see, is not a very large
place, but is very beautiful to look at — from a
distance. It is built upon a rock, which is in shape
something like a potato-hill. The houses are all of
stone, and very substantial. The streets arc from
four to six feet wide, and in many places we ascend
them by steps, like going up stairs. We all go in
a body now, and call upon Rev. Mr. Sanders,
American Consul and Missionary at Joppa. We
are delighted with the family, for they receive and
entertain us like home-folks.

But we must not tarry in Joppa. Our dragoman
has procured horses, and we must be on the road to
Jerusalem. We sleep at Ramleh (ancient Arima-
thea) to-night, some ten or twelve miles on the way.
Let us mount and be off. But wait! Smith,
Brown, and myself go down and take a sea-bath
first, after which we sally out at the Jerusalem gate,
(which, b}'' the way, is the only gate on the land
side of Joppa,) and take our way through the finest
orange -groves perhaps in the world; for Joppa,
you know, is noted for oranges. The different
groves or orchards are fenced with prickly-pear
hedges, which grow to enormous size. We see
some with trunks three feet in diameter. We soon
leave the orange - groves and enter upon a most
beautiful plain, everywhere blooming with flowers.

280 nAL'S TRAVELS.

Two hours' ride brings us to Lydda, a very ancient
town ; the same where the Apostle Peter cured
Eneas of the palsy, after he had kept his bed eight
years.

About night we arrive at Ramleh, and sleep in a
convent, being well received and entertained by the
monks. Early in the morning we visit an old ruin,
with a very high tower, just outside the town, of the
history of which we know nothing. From its sum-
mit we have a fine view of the hill country towards
Jerusalem ; but owing .to the fog in that direction,
we cannot see Mount Carmel.

Leaving Ramleh, we soon strike into the moun-
tains, where locomotion is exceedingly difficult,
owing to the stony road, or, we might say, owing to
the absence of a road. It is a sterile country, the
rocks showing their teeth on every side, with scarce
soil enough to afford any green thing, except in the
little valleys. We pass through the valley of Aja-
lon, which will be for ever memorable, on account
of the great battle fought there between the Israel-
ites and Amorites, when Joshua commanded the
sun to stand still upon Gideon, and the moon in
the valley of Ajalon. You will find an account of
the fight somewhere in the book of Joshua. We
see little more of interest in the way, except the
tomb of Samuel, which is covered by a mosque on
the summit of the mountain.

We are getting near Jerusalem, and our impa-
tience to see the Holy City increases. We spur our
jaded horses on, and after climbing another and

iial's travels. 281

another moiintaiu, the glorious sight appears ! We
pause and look. "We see little of the city except
the high walls and the domes of the highest houses.
We see that mountains are truly all around about
the city, and that the city and its surroundings are
beautiful. We exclaim, " Beautiful for situation, the
joy of the whole earth, is Mount Zion, the city of
the Great King !" We enter by the Jaffa or Beth-
lehem gate, and wind our way through the dark,
narrow streets, to the Mediterranean Hotel, which
is hard by the Church of the Holy Sepulchre. We
are intensely interested in every thing we see ; for
there is not a locality in or around the city that is
not holy.

After spending a few days here, we shall go down
to Jericho, the Jordan, and the Dead Sea, then to
Hebron ; after which we will return here, and spend
a few more days before setting out to the North,
towards Damascus.

Yours truly, Hal.

282 hal's travels.

LETTER XXVII.

JERUSALEM.

I HAVE now been ten days in and around Jerusa-
lem. I have gone about Zion ; have walked upon
the walls and told the towers thereof. Have stood
upon Calvary, and sat upon the Mount of Olives !
Strolled down the valley of Hinnom, and humbled
myself in the valley of Jehoshaphat. Knelt in the
Garden of Gethsemane, and sung songs of rejoicing
upon the Mount of Ascension. Drunk from the
Pools of Solomon, and washed in the Pool of Siloam.
Worshipped in the city of Bethlehem, and rested in
the quiet village of Bethany. Sat in the shade of
the broad-spreading oaks of Mamre, and v»^alked
through the vineyards of Eshcol. Slaked my thirst
at the Fountain of Elisha, and bathed in the waters
of the Jordan. Have indeed wandered for many
days amid sacred scenes, and in holy places, of the
which I would love to present you a faithful account,
but that were impossible. The undertaking would
be too great. If, however, you are disposed to make
a little excursion, we will pay a hasty visit to some
of the interesting localities.

We will start from St. Stephen's Gate, on the east

HAL'S TRAVELS. 283

side of the city. It is called the Gate of St. Ste-
phen because the martyr Stephen was led out here
to be stoned to death. Here, just within this gate,
is the Pool of Bethesda, the same around which the
"impotent folk, of blind, halt, and withered," used
to lie and wait for the troubling of the waters.
Here Jesus healed a man who had been diseased
thirty-eight years. The pool is three hundred and
sixty feet long, one hundred and thirty broad, and
thirty -five deep. It is almost dr}^ now. Leaving
this pool, we go up through the city along the Via
Dolorosa, or the " mournful way," so called because
it was up this street our Saviour went to Calvary
bearing his cross. The first place of interest we
reach is the house of Pilate, the same, or at least on
the same ground, where the mock trial was had and
Jesus condemned, and where he was scourged, and
a crown of thorns placed upon his head. From the
top of this house we look down upon the plateau
on which stood the Temple of Solomon. In the
midst of it, and just over the spot where the Ark of
the Covenant stood, stands the Mosque of Omar,
which is guarded strictly to prevent Christians en-
tering. This is the nearest approach we can make
to it, the Moslems believing that the touch of a
Christian would defile their sacred edifice. The
mosque is a fine octagonal building with a graceful
dome, and the square around it very beautiful — a
fine position for the splendid building which once
occupied it.
Leaving the house of Pilate, we proceed up the

284 hal's travels.

street towards Calvary and the cliiircli of the Holy-
Sepulchre. Our guide points out many stations
along the way where incidents occurred as the Lord
passed along. The places where he fainted are
shown, and the place where the cross was taken from
him and placed upon Simon the Cyrenean.

We enter the church of the Holy Sepulchre, and
near the door see multitudes of people falling down
and kissing a large marble slab. This we are told
is the "stone of unction," where the body of the
Lord was embalmed for the burial. "Without paus-
ing, we hasten to the interior, and after crowding,
squeezing, pushing, and jamming for half an hour,
in a dense crowd of the most motley people we
have seen this side of Naples, we gain admittance
into the room in which is the Holy Sepulchre. We
stoop down and look in, and then enter the very
tomb in which the great Redeemer of mankind lay
for three days ! It is a holy place, and we enter it
with no little awe. Coming out of the sepulchre,
we ascend a flight of steps in another part of the
building, and stand upon Calvary, and see the very
rock in which the cross was planted. We only
tarry in these places for a moment, promising our-
selves more time upon some future occasion. The
crowd here is too dense for enjoyment, for this is
the season for the pilgrims to be in Jerusalem, and
they of course all flock flrst to the Church of the
Holy Sepulchre. These pilgrims are not just the
kind of people we would desire to see them. They
are rough, ignorant, superstitious creatures, many

iial's travels. 285

of whom have journeyed from far countries to Jeru-
salem without once changing their garments, and
are, consequently, any thing hut clean. They be-
lieve that a pilgrimage to the Holy Sepulchre seals
their everlasting salvation, and they make the pil-
grimage at all hazards. The smell in such a crowd
is not so sweet as roses, and we only stop long
enough this time to see the most noted localities in
this large building, such as the tombs of Melchise-
dek, Godfrey, and Baldwin — the place where the Sa-
viour appeared to man}^ after ho was risen, the place
where the cross was found, etc. We observe in
passing that the church is exceedingly rich in gold
and silver lamps and chains, and some parts decked
out in such profusion of gilded ornaments as to ap-
pear ridiculous. The church is cut up into almost
innumerable chapels and compartments, and when
all the different sects claiming rights here are wor-
shipping, it is a Babel, if not worse. The Greeks,
Latins, Armenians, and Copts occupy different parts
of the house, and each sect does its level best to
make more noise than its neighbor, which is hard to
do. The Greeks are in the ascendant, and outsquall
the rest, but then the cracked and crazy organ of
the Latins comes in for a large share of glory in the
way of making a noise. These different sects hate
each other like cats and dogs, and, but for the body
of Turkish soldiers always on hand, would fight as
such. This fs a humiliating thought for Christians.
My friend Smith talks like a book on this subject,
and says if he had the power he would wipe the

286 hal's travels.

whole establishment from the face of the earth, and
disperse the fanatical zealots who worship here to
the four quarters of the globe. Smith is right.
The scenes enacted here are disgraceful instead of
honoring to Christianity.

Leaving the church of the Holy Sepulchre, we tra-
verse the narrow, gloomy street through the Jewish
quarter of the town, and enter the Synagogue of
the Jews, where worship is going on. The house
is crowded with men, while the women stand out-
side in the open court. The leader of the meeting
delivers his discourse sitting, after which the whole
congregation join in chanting the Law. A scroll is
exhibited, and the people seem almost frantic at the
sight of it, and as many as can possibly do so, rush
to and kiss it or the veil which had concealed it. It
is a copy of the Law — very ancient. Their worship
seems to be sincere, and their reverence for the Law
of Moses profound indeed. I believe these Jews
worship God in spirit and in truth, and look perhaps
more anxiously for the first coming of the Messiah
than Christians do for his second coming.

Leaving the Synagogue, we wind through some
narrow crooked lanes, which it would be vain to
attempt without a guide, and reach a section of the
ancient wall that surrounded the Temple of Solomon.
This is the "Jews' Place of Wailing." Here the Jews
have been permitted for many centuries to approach
the precincts of the Temple of their 'fathers, and
bathe its hallowed stones with their tea.rs. It is a
touching scene : Jews of both sexes, of all ages, and

hal's travels. 287

from every quarter of the earth, are here raising up
a united cry of lamentation over a desolated sanc-
tuary. Old men may be seen tottering up to these
massive stones, kissing them with fond rapture,
while tears stream down their cheeks. Well may
the poor Jews repeat the words of the Psalmist,
(Ixxix, 1, 4, 5 :) " O God, the heathen are come into
thine inheritance ; thy hoi}'' temple have they de-
filed ; they have laid Jerusalem on heaps. "We are
become a reproach to our neighbors, a scorn and
derision to them that are round about us. How
long, Lord ? wilt thou be angry for ever ? Shall
thy jealousy burn like fire?" These Jews may be
seen here in this little paved area weeping and wail-
ing every Friday.

"We now leave the Place of "Wailing, and emerge
from the city at the Zion gate, and stand upon that
portion of the hill of Zion which is now without the
walls. It is a "ploughed field" now, according to
the propliecy concerning it. Not far from the gate
is the tomb of David. A large mosque stands over
it, and it is- considered by Moslems too holy a place
for Cliristians to enter. So we cannot see the tomb
of the great Shepherd King, the mosque being
closely guarded. Near the tomb is the house of
Caiaphas, now an Armenian convent. "We enter,
and are shown the little room in which Jesus was
imprisoned ori the same night in which he was be-
trayed and led away from the garden of Geth-
semane to (Oaiaphas. "We also see the rock which

/

288 hal's travels.

was rolled before the door of the sepulchre, and
which the angels rolled away.

We pass on round the city wall, and at the Joppa
Gate enter the Tower of Hippicus, in which Ilerod
had his palace. David's palace was also here. It-
is a very strong fortress, and bears marks of great
antiquity. Scattered along the different roads that
lead away from this gate we see many poor lepers
sitting begging. They are the most pitiable-look-
ing objects we ever saw. I suppose they sit here
now just as they did in the time of our Saviour ;
but there is none to heal them now. We see these
miserable wretches sitting without every gate.
From this Joppa gate we go down into the Valley
of Hinnom, which lies between Mount Zion and the
Hill of Evil Council. Passing by the upper and
lower pools of Gihon, which are immense reservoirs,
we enter the deeper portion of the valley, and sit-
ting down in a quiet shad}\ place, beneath the olive
trees, where the early sprnjg grass is green and
beautiful, we sing some of th^ songs of Zion. Con-
tinuing down the valley, we «ome to the well En-
Rogel, at the junction of the vaAjeys of Hinnom and
Jehoshaphat. It was at this well Lsjiat Adonijah once
got up a great feast, or barbecJae, to which he
invited all the people, and in th>^ midst of the
hilarity he caused himself to be proclaimed king,
instead of his father David. Adonijah, like his
brother Absalom, was an ambitious yoi\ng man, but
not very successful. This well is one hiandred and

iial's travels. 289

twenty-five feet deep. The ^water is sweet and
good.

Leaving the well, En-Rogel, we now turn up the
Valley of Jehoshaphat, following the road along the
margin of the brook Kidron. Two or three hun-
dred yards bring us to the King's Gardens, a beau-
tiful spot, highly cultivated. Hard by is the Pool
of Siloam, into which we descend and drink of the
pure water, which is clear as crj'stal. Nehemiah
(iii. 15) mentions the King's Gardens as being be-
side the Pool of Siloah. On the opposite side of
the valley from this pool is the village of Siloam,
clinging to the rocky side of the Mount of Offence.
It was here the tower fell and killed the eighteen
men. As to the Pool of Siloam, you of course
remember the story of the man who was born blind,
and restored to sight by washing in this pool. We
all likewise wash in it. Not far above this pool is
the Fountain of the Virgin, at which, says the
legend, women accused of adultery in former times
were compelled to drink. If innocent, it harmed
them not; but if guilt}^, they died immediately.
When the Virgin Mary was accused, she submitted
to the ordeal, and thus established her innocence.
Hence its name. We now pass innumerable
tombs. The slope of the hill to the right is full of
them, and many are hewn out in the rocky clitfs,
and now stand open and ghastly. Iligher up the
valley we pass the tombs of Absalom, Zcchariah,
and the Apostle James. They are near together,
are large and finely ornamented tombs, cut in the
10

290 hal's travels.

side of the mountain. The tomb of Absalom is
the finest, but the massive stone monument is
defaced by the millions of pebbles that have been
cast against it by the Jews, who continue to this
day to throw stones at it as they pass. Absalom
was a comely youth, and no doubt had a most
beautiful suit of hair, but he was an undutiful,
rebellious son, and the Jews have not forgotten his
wicked rebellion. Hence they cast stones at his
tomb.

Coiitinuing up the valley, we reach the tomb of
the Virgin Mary, a very large grotto, into whicli
we descend by an easy flight of stone steps. It is
finely decorated, and scores of gold and silver lamps
are kept burning here continually, before and abov^
the resting-place of the mother of our Saviour.
The body of the Virgin's mother also lies in this
grotto.

A stone's-throw from the tomb of the Virgin is
the garden of Gethsemane, on what may be called
the first bench of the Mount of Olives. It is en-
closed with a high wall, and occupies perhaps an
acre of ground. We enter by a low iron door, and
find the garden well kept, being ornamented with
many pretty flowers. There are a dozen or more
olive trees in the garden which bear marks of very
great age. At the lower side of the garden, in
a little summer-house, we all assemble and join in
religious service : reading the Scripture account of
the sufterings and betrayal in this garden, singing,
and prayer. After gathering a small bunch of

hal's travels. 291

jQowers, we leave the garden, and ascend to the
summit of the Mount of Olives. What a splendid
view we have from here ! We see the entire city.
Every house is in view, and as nearly every one is
surmounted with a dome, the scene is very pleasing.
We rest here and gaze at the city and its environs
for a long time. Our Saviour has sat here many
times and overlooked his heloved city — ay, and
wept over it too. We open the book and read the
account of his weeping over it, and of his oft retir-
ing here to pray. And now we read of his tri-
umphal ride upon the ass from here into the city,
when he entered the Temple and drove out the
money-changers and them that bought and sold in
his Father's house. From where we sit we see the
"gate called Beautiful," through which he passccf.
It is walled up now, but we see the beautiful double
arch in the wall. While our party rest and read,
we climb an olive tree (there are hundreds of them
still upon the Mount) and cut several walking-canes,
which we will carrj- home as souvenirs. We get
half a dozen, which we shall present to Rev. Mr.

and others, if we are fortunate enough to get

them home. We will come to-nio-ht and irct more,
as the keeper of the grounds is coming this way.

We now go across the hill and descend to the
quiet village of Bethany. It is but a Sabbath-day's
journey (about two and a half miles) from the city.
We find the village cosily nestled in a little glen
surrounded by high hills, the sides of which are
covered with olive, fig, apricot, and almond trees.

292 HAL'S TRAVELS.

Many of tlie houses are in ruins, but still there is a
considerable population. "We first sit down on the
grass, in the shade, and read in the Scriptures about
Martha and Mary and Lazarus, and about the great
miracle wrought here. Then descend into the cave
which was the tomb of Lazarus. Coming out, we
go up the hill a little way to the ruins of an old stone
building which is said to be the same in which that
happy family lived, and where our blessed Saviour
used to retire and commune with them as his dearly
beloved friends. The house of Simon the leper is
also shown, close by. Gathering a few flowers, we
retrace our steps towards the city, and enter the
gate of St. Stephen, by the sheep-market. Here we
find more lepers. They are about the only beggars
we find iu Jerusalem. "We pass through the city,
and emerge from the Damascus gate at the north,
and go through a large olive-grove to the Tombs of
the Kings — massive excavations in the rock, where
it is said the shepherd kings of Israel were en-
tombed. A description of the deep recesses and
windings of these excavations would be profitless.

Returning to the city by the Bethlehem gate, we
mount the wall and make the circuit of the city, a
long but interesting walk.

Descending from the wall, we take a look at the
interior of the city. Half a minute's walk satisfies
us that Jerusalem is a city more pleasant to look at
from a distance than to walk in. The streets are
from eight to twelve feet wide, and in many places
arched over, which renders them quite gloomy.

ual's travels. 293

They are substantially paved, but as no rubbish
ever seems to be removed from them, they are not
so clean as could be desired. The main streets,
and especially the bazaars, are densely crowded with
people. It is hard to make way through some of
them. We see every variety of costume, and every
cast of feature, and hear almost every language that
is spoken under the sun. Xo danger of losing our
way in Jerusalem ; for the streets cross each other
at right angles, and there are various landmarks to
guide us. The bazaars are well supplied with
almost every variety of goods, which look like they
have been handled for years. Beads seem to be the
principal article of merchandise in that portion of
the city convenient to the Church of the Holy Se-
pulchre ; nor are mother-of-pearl crucifixes, and
other ornaments, forgotten. I think several wagons
mic-ht be loaded with these thins^s.

But we must not long linger in Jerusalem at this
time. However interesting the ground on which
we walk, we must leave it; for there are other
places intensely interesting that must be seen.
We love to sojourn in the city where the Lord of
the whole earth has walked and talked and suffered
and died ; to walk over the ground and gaze upon
scenes once familiar to David and Solomon, and the
kings and priests who succeeded them ; where Peter,
and Paul, and James, and John, and the other apos-
tles, have preached the gospel of Jesus Christ ; to
linger about the hill of Zion and Mount Moriah,
where the ark of the covenant rested, and where

294 hal's travels.

God himself was wont to meet face to face with his
peculiar people. But we must leave these scenes
for a season. Our dragoman tells us that the horses
and all things are now ready for our departure for
Hebron. We shall now be dwellers in tents for a
few weeks. We are all glad of it ; for there is a
romance about tent-life really charming, especially
at this season of the year, when the sky is cloudless,
the air balmy, and the whole face of the earth co-
vered with beautiful wild flowers.

Mrs. Smith is almost crazy to get under way.
Smith has loaded himself down with pistols and
swords, and swears he is a match for forty Bedouins ;
which gentry are said to infest the region through
which we travel, and sometimes relieve travellers
of their extra change and clothing. He has also
bought him a lance, to which he has fastened the
American flag, the same we had on the jSTile.

The horses are brought to our hotel door. We
mount and issue forth from the Bethlehem gate,
and file down through the valley of Hinnom, the
gallant Captain Smith leading the party. I wish I
could paint you a picture of our leader, as he now
appears at the head of the column. He looks vene-
rable, for his gray beard is long and flowing. He
has ignored his hat, and now wears an enormous
turban and tarbouche. Is almost buried to his
waist in high-top boots, with huge spurs attached
to them. A red silk Damascus shawl around his
waist, in which are a couple of long navy pistols,
and two more hung at his saddle-bow; his long

II A L ' S TRAVELS. 295

lance gracefnll}^ couched, and the stars and stripes
gayly streaming from his head. And then to see
how proudly the old gentleman sits upon his Arab
steed — the picture is refreshing. We are all proud
of Smith, feeling assured that, with him to lead, we
shall have a safe passage through all the Bedouin
tribes in Syria.

We take the high road to Hebron, which, in any
other country but this, would not deserve the name
of road at all. The iirst object of interest, that
attracts our attention along the way is

But perhaps I had better reserve the account of
our excursion for another letter, which I will write
when I feel like it. I am tired now.

Yours truly, Hal.

296 hal's travels.

LETTER XXVIII.

JERUSALEM TO HEBRON — THE JORDAN, DEAD SEA,
JERICHO, ETC.

My last letter left onr party winding up the "Hill
of Evil Counsel" from the valley of Ilinnom, having
just emerged from the Bethlehem gate of Jerusalem,
and taken the high-road to Hebron. With your
permission, we will now continue that journey. Our
tents and camp-equipage have gone forward on bag-
gage mules, and we will amble on at our leisure.
Smith is riding proudly at our head, looking as
much like a brigand chief as civilized man ever
looked ; and, to confess the truth, his followers (ex-
cept the ladies) look little less suspicious than him-
self. The only redeeming feature in the picture is
the American flag, waving gracefully from the spear-
head of our gallant and venerable leader, whose
horse is rearing, pitching, and curvating like a tight-
rigged ship on a rough sea. We should like it if
our friends could see that horse. Smith calls him
"Dare-devil," and a dare-devil he is, and no mistake.
A "hard"-looking animal he is, but "mettle" to the
back-bone. Has a long and exceedingly gaunt body
— legs ditto. A slim neck, which inclines to bow

II A L ' S TRAVELS. 297

up instead of down, and the bead attached to it is
longer than a flour-barrel. His ears point straight
up, and liis tail, almost innocent of hair, points
straight out behind. Baskets could be hung upon
his hip-bones. But what an eye ! It is one of the
most villainous eyes ever stuck into a horse's head,
and protrudes so far that 3*ou might knock it olF
with a stick, and never touch the head ! "We greatly
admire this "Arab steed," and so does Smith, who
selected him solely on account of his villainous eye.
The rest of our horses were like unto Smith's in
appearance, but wanting in mettle. They all have
"bottom," however, and possess that quality pecu-
liarly necessary to horses in Palestine — i. e., the
ability to climb ladders, stone walls, and to walk on
stilts. None but those who have travelled over the
roads of this country will understand what this
means.

The morning is a delicious one. The gentle
spring sun is just warm enough to make us feel
comfortable. The whole face of the earth seems to
be covered with wild flowers of every hue and color,
and we all press forward with glad hearts and
buoyant hopes. The natives stare at us as we
clatter over the hard stone road, in our unique cos-
tumes, but in our hilarity we heed them not.

The first objectofintcrestthatattractsourattentiou
in the way, is a well in the middle of the road, called
the "Well of the Wise Men," because there is a tra-
dition that the wise men who came from the East
to Bethlehem to worship the infant Saviour, drank

298 ual's travels.

and rested here after their conference with that
bloody villain, Herod. One hour farther on, and
we reach the tomb of Eachel, the wife of Jacob, and
mother of Joseph and Benjamin. The tomb is en-
closed in a little white stone building, and is alike
venerated by all sects — Jews, Christians, and Mos-
lems. The account of the death and burial of Kachel
in this place is familiar to every Bible reader. It
is brief and graphic, and we read it here on the spot
with more than ordinary interest : " They journeyed
from Bethel, and there was but a little way to come
to Ephrath. . . . And Rachel died, and was buried
in the way to Ephrath, which is Bethlehem. And
Jacob set a pillar upon her grave ; and that is the
pillar of Rachel's grave unto this day." Lamps are
kept continually burning before this tomb. Half
an hour farther is Bethlehem, but as we have set
out for Hebron, we leave Bethlehem to the left and
go forward. Two hours' ride brings us to the
"Pools of Solomon." These pools are so much
more magnificent than we expected to find them,
that we are struck with astonishment. We had not
expected to see works of half the magnitude. But
then we must remember that Solomon was a very
rich man, and generally "bored with a big auger:"
that is, did up things on a large scale. He cer-
tainly did in the way of building pools, for here
they are yet to speak for thcDiselves. They are
mostly excavated in the solid rock. The largest
one is two hundred yards long, two hundred feet
wide, and fifty feet deep ! The other two are im-

hal's travels. 299

mense, but not quite so largo as the first. They are
perhaps half full of water now. Here King Solomon
had his country-seat — his gardens and vineyards —
and here too, no doubt, he, with his many wives
and concubines, used to have good times wandering
through the groves and gardens, and bathing in
these pools.

Leaving the pools, we continue towards Hebron,
over the ancient road which was doubtless trodden
centuries upon centuries ago by Abraham, Isaac,
and Jacob, and many prophets, priests, and kings.
The road is sadly out of repair now, and as we view
the great heaps of stones over which our horses pick
their way, we are tempted to doubt the possibility
of war -chariots ever having passed this way. The
country through which Ave pass is mostly barren and
desolate, and nothing of peculiar interest attracts
our attention until we find ourselves entering the
vineyards of Eshcol. Here we find cultivation
carried to perfection. Every hill-side (and there is
scarcely any thing else) is terraced, and every foot
of ground that can bear a vine is planted, and the
stones so arranged as to prevent the earth washing.
Every vineyard has its stone "tower" in the centre,
and in some places we can see as many as fifty of
these "towers" at one time. These vineyards were
once owned and cultivated by the gigantic sons of
Anak, and it was from here that the spies sent out
from the Israclitish camp obtained the great clusters
which so astonished their brethren. Eshcol would
be a good place to pass through in the grape season.

300 iial's travels.

We now approach Hebron. Its frowning stone
walls and towers loom up before us. We do not
enter the city now, but proceed to our tents, which
are pitched in a pretty green common just before the
town, hard by the pool over which King David hung
the assassins of Ishbosheth, as related in 2 Samuel
iv. 12. This is our first entree into camp, and we
are hugely pleased with the prospect. All things
look neat and in order, and we dismount and look
about us. Here are four tents. The first and
largest is given up to Mr. and Mrs. Smith, Miss
Kissiah, and Miss Jemima; the second to Davis,
Green, and Pipkins ; the third to Jones, Brown,
and myself, and the fourth is for the dining-saloon
and servants. We glance at our furniture, and are
astonished at the great display made by the few
packages brought on the mules. The table is al-
ready spread, and is groaning (tables always "groan,"
you know) beneath the weight of a smoking dinner
which has been got up with astonishing rapidity by
Demetri, our new cook. The table is large enous^h
for ten persons to sit around comfortably, and yet it
can be rolled up into a bundle so small that you can
almost carry it under your arm. Ten chairs sur-
round it, which can be reduced in like proportion.
As to our bedsteads, or cots, they can be rolled up
in bundles little larger than so many umbrellas.
Those two comparatively small boxes carry all our
table and kitchen furniture. One mule carries both,
besides the "kitchen," (simply a sheet-iron trough
with holes punched in the bottom, and folding legs,)

hal's travels. 301

and a bag of charcoal to cook with, firewood being
a luxury rarel}- enjoyed in Palestine. In short, our
household and kitchen furniture is complete, and
we are utterl}^ astonished to see with what fiicility
it can be packed (including tents and all) and trans-
ported from place to place.

Now, although we are somewliat elated with our
new mode of life — the luxury and novelt}" of living
in tents — still there is a slight sense of uneasiness
in the camp this evening. We are surrounded
with a horde of the natives, whose savage frowns
are any thing but pleasant. These Hebronites are
a savage, fierce people, and hate "Christian dogs,"
as they call us, with a perfect hatred ; and we are
therefore on our best behavior. Smith bustles
about, and tries to appear unconcerned, but he
frankly acknowledges the corn to me that they are
not just the kind of people with whom he would
like a muss. Were they Egyptians, or ordinary
Arabs, Smith's "koorbash" would have played havoc
among them in short order ; but they are not Egyp-
tians nor ordinary Arabs, so he lets them alone,
and wisely, too. It would be a great relief to all of
us if they would leave, but we dare not tell them so,
for fear of a shower of stones.

Hebron is perhaps the oldest inhabited city in the
world. We don't know^ its age, but in Numbers
xiii. 22, we read that it was built " seven j^ears be-
fore Zoan in Egypt." When Zoan was built we do
not know, except that it was built seven years after
Hebron. That must have been a long time ago, for

302 HAL'S TRAVELS.

Zoan has been a lieap of ruins for centuries. "We
care little, however, about the age of Hebron. "We
know that Abraham used to live here, and that his
bones are still here, resting quietly in the cave of
Machpelah. This "faithful" man and "friend of
God" was buried here more than thirty-seven hun-
dred 3'ears ago, and during all that time his descend-
ants have reverenced the spot, and Christians and
Moslems do the same. The remains of Isaac and
Jacob, Sarah, Rebecca, and Leah, are also buried
in this cave, "With the exception of Jerusalem, no
place on earth is more hallowed by high and sacred
associations than this venerable old city of Hebron.
Here the old patriarchs communed with God, and
received the promises of the covenant. David once
lived here — was anointed king, and made this his
capital for some seven or eight years. It was
here in Hebron that Joab assassinated Abner.
His tomb is within a stone's-throw of our encamp-
ment. The" rebellious Absalom, whose tomb we saw
in the valley of Jehoshaphat, made this his head-
quarters during the time of his rebellion against his
good old father David.

Hebron is a much more imposing city than we
expected to find it. The houses are all built of
large hewn stone, and look like they might stand
for ever, for they stand upon a rock. It contains
ten or twelve thousand inhabitants, all fierce Mo-
hammedans, except a few miserable Jews, who only
exist by suiFerance. Tliere are no Christians. In-
deed, it is hardly safe for Christians to visit here, as

Hal's travels. 303

wc arc uow doino;, mucli less reside among these
bigoted, fanatical Moslems. Visitors are fortnnate
indeed if they get awaj'' from here without being
insulted, if not stoned from the heights above the
camping-ground.

Our fancy does not lead us to wander through the
streets of Hebron to any considerable extent. It is
not pleasant to be followed up and hooted at by
crowds of yellow-skinned devils ; we therefore con-
tent ourselves with a visit to the mosque which
stands over the Cave of Machpelah, and make as near
an approach to the bones of the old patriarchs and
their wives as possible — no Christian being allowed
under any pretence to enter the cave. We also visit
the tomb of Abner, and the ancient* pool before
alluded to.

Having seen all of Hebron that we desire to see,
we start back towards Jerusalem over the same road
wo came, making a little detour just after leaving
the city, to see the last surviving oak in the vale of
Mamre. It was here that old Father Abraham first
pitched his tent, and dug a well, which still aftbrds
an ample supply of excellent water. We drink of
it, and rest beneath the shade of this broad-spread-
ing oak, and read in our Bibles about the visit of
the angels to the old patriarch, when he dwelt per-
haps just here where we sit. The scene around us
is one of the most beautiful in Palestine, the rugged
hills standing out in bold relief, each possessing a
distinct feature of its own, unlike the hills of any
other country, while the rich olive-groves and vine-

304 HAL'S TRAVELS.

yards remind us the wliile that we are not in the
land of the West. We feel that we are upon holy
ground. Every view the eye rests upon was seen
as we now see it by Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, by
Samuel, David, and Solomon. The cities they built
or dwelt in are now heaps of ruins, but the features
of nature remain unchanged — the mountains, the
valleys, the fountains, the rocks are all here. Many
a time and oft have these good men of old walked
up and down this lovel}'- vale of Mamre, commun-
ing with the great God himself, and covenanting to
serve him faithfully. They, too, like other men,
have wept before the Cave of Machpelah.

But beautiful as is the scene, and pleasant as is
the shadow *of this brave old oak, we must not
linger here. 'No, the Vale of Mamre, the well and
oak where Abraham and righteous Lot have oft
communed together, the very ground where angels
have stood, and the vineyards of Eshcol, must all
be left behind, for we must rest in Bethlehem to-
day. We cut a few slips from the grape-vines to
carry home with us, and then take the highway to-
wards the city of David. At the Pools of Solomon
we rest, and partake of our noonday repast. We
here leave the Jerusalem road, and strike off" to the
right, down a beautiful valley, filled with clusters of
olive, fig, almond, and apricot trees. Two hours'
ride brings us to Bethlehem, Avhose streets we tra-
verse, feeling that every footfall is upon holy ground.
Our party enter the gates of the city chanting that
good old song,

"The star, the star of Bethlehem."

HAL'S TRAVELS. 305

"We go first, of course, to the " Church of the Na-
tivity," whose sacred walls we enter with awe and
reverence. The story of the Child of Bethlehem
is known to the world. We enter the grotto, and
stand before the very place where the Saviour was
born. Near by is the manger in which he was
laid. We open our Bibles and read the interest-
ing story, which seems now more interesting than
ever before. We read about the wise men coming
in and worshipping the child, and presenting their
costly gifts ; and also about the shepherds coming
in from the field, after the light had shone about
them, and the angel, with a multitude of the hea-
venly host, had appeared unto them, praising God and
saying, " Glory to God in the highest, and on earth
peace, good-will toward men." These shepherds
knew that a Prince and Saviour was born into the
world, and " they returned glorifying and praising
God for all things that they had heard and seen."
This place was a stable then, and a gloomy place,
no doubt ; but Joseph and Mary were thrust here
" because there was no room for them in the inn."
This grotto with its costly trappings, and the other
eacred places about this great old church, have been
so often described that we deem it unnecessary to
do more than to look on and try to realize the fact
that we are actually in the very place where Jesus
was born.

Bethlehem, although an imposing little city, as
seen from a distance, is not a place in which one
desires to tarry long. When we have seen the

306 iial's travels.

''Church of the Nativity," and its appendages, we
depart toward Jericho, the Jordan, and the Dead
Sea, not forgetting to take with us a guard of Be-
douins— thieves whom we hire to protect us from
other thieves ; for there is nothing more certain
than that, if a man undertakes to go down to
Jericho without an escort, he will fall among thieves,
and be left wounded and naked on the way. The
country through which we pass is indescribable.
The hills are utterly barren, and look as though a
scathing lire had just passed over them, consuming
every green or combustible thing. Smith says these
hills seem to have been dropped down at random,
and then stirred up. If they looked in old times
as now, I wonder much that Moses did not turn
away with disgust when he viewed them from
Mount Pisgah. To be gathered to his fathers just
at that time, should have been matter of congratu-
lation, rather than regret, with the great leader of
Israel. But they possibly may have been fruitful
then, or he may have had a spiritual view of the
goodly country beyond these hills.

But we must hasten on, or this letter will be too
long, if it is not already verging that way. It is
hardly worth the time and space to record the con-
fusion, not to say consternation, into which our
party is thrown by our foremost escort, who comes
galloping back at full speed, with the startling in-
formation that a large force of robbers is in a ra-
vine just ahead, waiting for us. It is now that our
gallant Smith shows his "grit." He takes com-

hal's travels. 307

maud in earnest, forms us into compact order, and
takes his position at the head. Examines his pis-
tols, couches his lance, and, looking as tierce as a
thunder-cloud, puts "Dare-devil" into a gallop, and
cries, "Come on, boj's!" We follow, each man
ready witli his revolver, keeping a sharp lookout.
We gallop on, and on, and on, and finally reach the
margin of the Dead Sea, without meeting with the
eneni}', or even seeing his track. We now know
that the alarm was a mere trick of our guard, to see
if we were spunky. Had we shown the " white
feather," they w^ould have robbed us themselves.
All honor to Smith for his gallant bearing on the
trying occasion.

We arrive at the shores of the Dead Sea. Like
everybody else who comes here, we pull off our
clothes and "pitch in," and, like everybody else,
we of course find the water intensely salt and tre-
mendously buoyant. We lie on the surface, and
float without an effort. Come out, and by the time
we get our clothes on, are encrusted with a thin
layer of salt. Fill our bottles with water, pick
up a few handsome pebbles, mount our horses, and
make tracks for the Jordan, to Avash the salt oft' our
bodies, which begins to sting and prickle rather
uncomfortably.

An hour's ride across the plain brings us to the
banks of the Jordan, whose rushing waters come
down like a mill-race. Before us, beyond the river,
the mountains of Moab loom up, dark and frown-
ing. We see the peaks of Pisgah, and also Mount

308 HAL'S TRAVELS.

Gilead. These mountaiiis and this river we have
read of from onr youth up, and we now look upon
them with gladness. We are soon stripped and in
the cooling waters, splaghing and diving in the
most hilarious manner ; for it is a great relief to
get the salt washed off. After bathing to our
hearts' content, we come out and sing that good
old song,

"On Jordan's stormy banks I stand," etc.,

which certainly are not "stormy" now. Eat our
lunch, and, under the shade of the trees upon the
bank, we read in our Bibles about "those days"
when John came preaching and baptizing, perhaps
in this very place. It Avas here that the great
multitudes flocked to hear the preaching of John ;
and it was here, or hereabouts, that the Saviour
himself was baptized, when the Spirit of God
descended upon and proclaimed him the Son of the
Almighty. And it was in this immediate neighbor-
hood that Joshua led the conquering hosts of Israel
over into the promised land.

But evening approaches, and we must needs sleep
at Jericho to-night, and that is two hours away ; a
very pleasant ride, however, across the level plain.
Our ride is enlivened, too, by a tilting match be-
tween Smith and Brown, who seize this first oppor-
tunity (it is the first level ground we have passed
over) to test the real mettle and speed of their
charges. They perform their parts to admiration,
both horses and riders, until toward the close of the

nAL'S TRAVELS. 309

fun, when Smith is thrown at least twenty feet into
the midst of a patch of thorn-bushes ; from which
we extricate the old gentleman with no little diffi-
culty. He is wounded and bleeding, and will bear
the marks of the thorns longer than his sojourn in
Palestine. His spear-head is broken off, but our
dragoman repairs the damage soon after we get into
camp.

Jericho we find a miserable village, filled with
the poorest kind of Arabs. Even the traces of the
old walls which fell down at the blowing of the
rams' horns are gone. The glory of Jericho has
long since departed, and its palaces are heaps of
ruins, outside the village. Our tents are pitched in
a beautiful situation on the banks of the brook
Cherith, which flows from the fountain of Elisha —
the same fountain whose waters were once bitter,
but were healed and made sweet by that prophet.
He healed them by putting in a cruse of salt, and
they remain healed nnto this day. There are re-
mains of an old house here, which tradition says is
the house of Zaccheus, where our Saviour stopped
when in Jericho. The tree that Zaccheus climbed
is not to be seen. Jesus was in Jericho when word
was brought him that his friend Lazarus was sick
at Bethany. "We leave our encampment here, and
follow the same road which our Saviour travelled,
when going up to Bethany to raise Lazarus from
the dead. About half-way to Jerusalem we pass by
the ruins of a large stone building, said to have
been once an inn, possibly the same in which the

310 HAL'S TRAVELS.

Samaritan lodged tlie poor fellow who fell among
thieves. The road all the way to Bethany is despi-
cable, and the country most of the way utterly bar-
ren, and encumbered with large rocks. Our horses
know their business, however, and take us safely
through. Smith says he don't believe there is a more
truthful passage in Scripture than that which says,

"Jordan is a hard road to travel ;"

and we all agree with Smith ; for a worse road is
not to be found.

We pass through Bethany — over a shoulder of
the Mount of Olives — through the valley of Jehosh-
aphat, and again enter the walls of Jerusalem,
where we shall remain a few days, and then proceed
on our tour in the Korth of Palestine and Syria.
Adieu. Hal.

ual's travels. 311

LETTER XXIX.

JERUSALEM TO TIBERIAS.

Inasmuch as you accompanied our party on a
tour from Jerusalem to Hebron, the Dead Sea, the
Jordan, Jericho, and back to Jerusalem, it is but
right and proper that you continue with us during
the rest of our wanderings in the Holy Land.
Therefore, if you will consent to go, you shall see
what you shall see.

Great preparations have been made for our depart-
ure to the Il^orth. Smith has been the main spirit
in fitting out the expedition, and has thereby
brought the rest of us under renewed obligations to
him. I do not know how we should get along
without Smith, for he is certainly an "institution,"
and the most active one I ever knew. He attends
to every thing — dragoman, servants, and horses —
and when things don't go to suit him, he swears
like a trooper, in Arabic — for he has picked up at
least twenty words of the language, which he uses
upon all occasions — especially when in a passion,
and that is more than half the time. (Smith says
it is wonderful how soon a man picks up the Ian-
guage of a country.) Through his influence we

312 hal's travels.

have almost doubled tlie number of our arms, for
there are frightful rumors afloat about the ferocious-
ness of the Bedouin Arabs in the mountains ; and
it is said that the plains of Sharon and Esdraelon
swarm with banditti. But our party is large, and
we stand in but little fear of the savage descendants
of Ishmael. With our bold captain to lead, we
feel as if we could ride through a troop of them.

But we must be under way. Pleasant as it is to
linger about Jerusalem, we can stay no longer.
The jingle of the bells of the baggage mules re-
minds us that our tents will be pitched at Bethel
to-night, and to reach them we must be stirring.
While our horses are being got ready, we watch
those patient mules filing away under their heavy
burdens, and pity them. There are Mrs. Smith's
two great heavy trunks strapped across the back of
one little animal, so small that it could be put
inside of either one of them, and have ample stable-
room. It is astonishing to see the amount of bag-
gage carried by a fashionable woman. One-tenth
part of the contents of these trunks would be suffi-
cient for the tour of Palestine, and yet the fas-
tidious Mrs. S. insists upon canying it all. I fear
it will be a tempting invitation to the Bedouins
to fall upon us. Miss Kissiah Jones is the most
sensible woman I have seen travelling in the East.
She is content to carry a small valise, in which she
carries but one extra dress. She has worn that old
brown travelling-dress in which she now appears,
until it seems to be a part and parcel of herself.

hal's travels. 313

It is woefully faded under the influence of the pelt-
ing African sun, and is becoming beautifully fringed
about the bottom of the skirt; but still, Kissiah,
with her beaming face, looks well even in it. She
wears her other dre^s only on Sundays. (It is a
black silk.) She says she is determined to stick to
the " old brown" until the end of the journey — and
she is right.

But here are our horses. Let us mount and be
off. Smith is first in the saddle, and of course leads
the way. Look at him as he rides oif; and see
with what pride and dignity old "Dare-devil" walks
awa}', with head and tail up, evidently proud of his
master. A prouder horse and rider have never
sallied forth from the Damascus gate since the days
of Saul of Tarsus, who emerged from the same
portal about eighteen hundred years ago, breathing
out curses upon Christians, while Smith goes forth
breathing out Arabic curses upon the head of our
dragoman, who is reeling under the influence of a
quart of mean brandy; for be it known, that Ibra-
hcem, our Syrian dragoman, is no Mohammedan,
but a Christian, and is therefore privileged to in-
dulge in villainous drinks. The order of Good
Templars has not j-et penetrated Jerusalem. Ach-
mct, our dragoman on the l!^ile, never drinks, for
he is a strict Moslem.

We arc now fairly out on the Damascus road,
pacing along in single file, for the road is too narrow
for two to ride abreast. It is only a camel road,
for there are no wheeled carriages in this country —

314 hal's travels.

not even a wheelbarrow. The only thing I have
seen on wheels is a cannon on the Tower of Hippi-
cus in Jerusalem. Our road, although narrow and
very rough, is a great thoroughfare, as we can see
by the long trains of camels we meet. They are
mostly laden with goods from Damascus.

Here we leave the Tomb of Helena on the right,
cross the upper end of the Kidron, and ascend the
hill of Scopus. And here we take our farewell
glance at Jerusalem — its domes, and minarets, and
gray walls, and the mountains that compass it
around, with Olivet at their head. We take a long-
lingering look back at the sacred spot, and only
turn away when the picture grows dim and indis-
tinct through the quivering tear-drop. Jerusalem
is enshrined in our affections, and was even before
we saw it. "We can almost adopt the plaintive, pas-
sionate language of the captive Israelite by the
waters of Babylon : " If I forget thee, 0 Jerusalem,
let my right hand forget her cunning. If I do not
remember thee, let my tongue cleave to the roof of
my mouth."

Here on our right, on the top of the hill, is where
stood the ancient city of ISTob, and just over there is
the site of Gibeah. In this little valley between is
where the interview between Jonathan and David
took place. That large rock we see peering above
ground may have been the rock "Ezel," behind
which David lay concealed. We sit doAvn here and
read 1 Sam. xx., xxi., and xxii., and learn therefrom
that tragical events have occurred here and here-

iial's travels. 315

abouts. Wc uow go over to Gibeali, on tlie oppo-
site hill. From the summit we have an intensely
interesting view. We see away down into the
valley of the Jordan, and the purple-tinted moun-
tains of Moab beyond. On the south we get a
peep at some of the buildings on Blount Zion. On
the west we see the tomb of the prophet Samuel,
over which stands a mosque. On the north is a
picturesque village — Ramah, of Benjamin. The
sites of Anathoth, Geba, and Michmash, are visible
from this point.

On this ground where we now stand once stood
the city of Gibeah. Saul, the first King of Israel,
lived here ; and here occurred that awful tragedy
which well-nigh annihilated the tribe of Benjamin.
"We remember the horrible story of the Levite and
his concubine ; and here, on the spot, we read the
nineteenth, twentieth, and twenty-first chapters of
the book of Judges. Here, too, we read, in 2 Sam.
xxi., of the hanging of the seven descendants of
Saul, and of the maternal tenderness of the bereaved
mother, Rizpah.

A little farther on we pass the village of Ramah,
of Benjamin, and notice nothing else of interest
until reaching Bethel. Here we read the story of
Jacob's slumber and dream, etc. Here the country
begins to grow better, and olive-groves, vineyards,
and fig-orchards now begin to take the place of that
bleak, barren sterility through which we have been
coming ever since leaving Jerusalem. AVild tiowcrs
cover the ground, and we pass in sight of some

316 HAL'S TRAVELS.

pretty villages perched upon the tall hills. "We have
now left the territory of Benjamin, and entered that
of Ephraim, and the fertility around us reminds us
that he was hlessed with " the precious fruits hrought
forth by the sun, . . . and the precious things
of the lasting hills."

Now we approach a dark and narrow defile be-
tween two high mountains. It has a startling name,
and is the dread of faint-hearted travellers. It is
called the "Robbers' Glen." Scarcely a season
passes that murderous deeds are not committed
here. Before entering it we look well to our pistols
and ride as close together as possible. Smith un-
furls his flag and takes the lead with as much pride
as Don Quixote ever rode forward to attack an au-
dacious windmill. "Dare-devil" seems to snuff the
battle afar off, and enters the gorge with as little
trepidation as his bold rider. See the old gentle-
man as he rises in his stirrups and presses forward !
Bold indeed will be the brigand who hurls a lance
at that figure. A whole troop may well pause and
consider before attacking our brave captain, for his
arms are numerous and in good order — and Smith
is a man who will not hesitate to use them. Besides
his long, keen lance, he carries two of Colt's repeat-
ers at his saddle-bow, two "volcanic repeaters" in
his belt, and a double-barrel gun strapped to his
back. So you see he is capable of firing thirty shots,
besides doing immense execution with his shining
spear. And then, too, the appearance of the man
will do much towards gaining us a victory. His

hal's travels. 317

tall figure, flowing gray beard, huge turban, red
shirt, brilliant sash, high red-top boots, and ponder-
ous spurs — these things are enough to strike terror
into the ranks of the most daring banditti. We all
glory in Smith, and well w^e may, for he is a jewel.

But we pass the "Eobbers' Glen," and see
"nary" robber. The country still improves, and
our ride is most charming. The terraced hills are
so quaint, the winding valleys so picturesque, the
wild flowers so brilliant and so plentiful, the som-
bre foliage of the olive, the deep green of the fig,
and briirht ffreen of the s-rowins: wheat on the ter-
races, all give such exquisite hues to the landscape !
Add to this the gray ruins perched upon the hill-
tops, and the peasants in their gay dresses, red and
green and white, and the strings of mules and don-
keys and camels, defiling along the narrow paths,
their bells awaking the echoes ; and the Arab with
his long spear, or old brass-bound, flint-lock mus-
ket; and the shepherd leading his goats along the
mountain-side, or grouped with them around a foun-
tain ; and then — the oddest figure of them all — the
traveller from the far-west, with his red face and
nondescript trappings ! These are the scenes and
pictures around us.

But we hasten on to Shiloh — a most interesting
spot. We stop under the shade of this huge oak,
(the only tree to be seen,) and read some portions
of Scripture relating to Shiloh. We find that here
the Tabernacle of the Lord was first permanently
set up iu Canaan ; and here the Israelites assem-

318 hal's travels.

bled to receive eacli his portion of the promised
land. It was to this place Samuel, when a child,
was brought and dedicated to the Lord. There was
a great annual feast held in Shiloli in honor of the
ark, at which the village maidens were wont to
dance ; they probably did up their dancing in this
little valley just below us. It was on one of these
festive occasions that the remnant of the Benjamin-
ites concealed themselves in the vine3'ards near by,
and suddenly rushing upon the unconscious dam-
sels, carried off two hundred of them. It is to be
hoped they got the old maids. The glory of Shiloh
departed with the capture of the ark, and it is now
but a heap of ruins. We see a few swarthy, thiev-
ish-looking rascals prowling around while we read,
but either the size of our party, or the formidable
appearance of Smith, keeps them at a distance.
They would no doubt like to finger our cash.

Leaving Shiloh, we soon enter a rich and most
beautiful valley. The country has been improving
ever since we entered the domains of Ephraim, and
there now seems but little room for further improve-
ment. Such fertile districts are unknown in Judah
or Benjamin. Every step we advance proves to us
that Ephraim was indeed blessed with the " chief
things of the ancient mountains." The first high
hill we ascend after leaving this valley reveals a most
glorious view. Away over yonder we see on a very
high point a little white building of some kind.
That is the landmark of Mount Gerizira, and marks
the spot where the Samaritan Temple once stood.

hal's travels. 319

Beyond it we see the point of Mount Ebal. Be-
tween the two lies the valley and city of Shechem,
or Sychar. And far, far away on the northern hori-
zon we discern a peaked cone tipped with snow;
that is Ilernion !

Two or three hours' riding brings us to Jacob's
"Well, just at the entrance of the valley of Shechem,
and near the base of Gerizini. Here the Saviour
rested at noonday, wearied no doubt with the long
walk up the hot plain, having come, like ourselves,
from Jerusalem. There is but little to be seen at
this well, for it is almost filled up, but we stop and
read the story of that strange interview between our
Lord and the Samaritan woman. The little white
enclosure we see near by is Joseph's tomb. His
body was brought up from Egypt, and buried in this
place. Half an hour's ride up the valley brings us
to Shechem, situated among the finest scenery in
Palestine, and one of the most beautiful sites for a
city from Dan to Beersheba. It is in a narrow val-
ley, with the steep mountains of Ebal and Gerizim
towering up on either side. Shechem has a popu-
lation of about eiglit or ten thousand, the most vil-
lainous set of people we have seen since leaving
Hebron. They take pride in hating Christians, and
we must be particular not to offend them, or we
may get up an unpleasant affair. We go into the
synagogue of the Samaritans, (there are still a few
here,) and arc shown a manuscript copy of the law,
which the high-priest tells us is three thousand
five hundred years old.

820 hal's travels.

It was in Shecliem that Abraham first pitched his
tent in Canaan ; Jacob also settled here, and per-
haps lived near ^yhe^e he dug his well. He bought
that "parcel of a field" where his well is from
Hamor, Shechem's father, and there was buried his
favorite son Joseph. After removing from Shechem
down to Hebron, Jacob still retained his plantation
here, and it was to his fields here that he sent
Joseph in quest of his brethren, to see if " it was
well with them and well with their flocks." They
had removed to Dothan, twelve miles farther. The
little fellow in his "coat of many colors" followed
them np with the message of his good old father,
and they sold him to the Ishmaelites.

As this was the place where the patriarchs first
settled in Canaan, so it was, many hundred years
later, the place where their descendants gathered
after coming np out of Egypt, and here, on Mount
Gerizim and Mount Ebal, the blessing and cursing
took place that we read about in Deuteronomy,
xxvii. and xxviii. In different parts of the Scrip-
tures we find that many highly interesting and
important events occurred here in old times, but
w^e will read them at our leisure, when we have
more time. Those villainous Shechemites who eye
us so closely would perhaps rather see us move on.

The next place of importance at which we halt is
Samaria, once a great and royal city, but now only
a village. "Within the walls of an old ruined church
is said to be the tomb of John the Baptist. From
the commanding position, and the numerous evi-

HAL'S TRAVELS. 321

dences of fine arcliitecturc, Samaria must have been
a most beautiful city. None of the ancient build-
ings are standing, but the great hewn stones and
the multitude of columns show that it was superior,
in beauty at least, to any thing we have before seen
in Palestine. There are hundreds of columns still
standing, and hundreds more lying prostrate, scat-
tered over a vast extent of ground. In one place,
on a beautiful terrace along the hill-side, stands a
row of columns near three-quarters of a mile in
length. There was once a double row of them tifty
feet apart, but nearly all of one of the rows have
been thrown down, and have rolled down the
hill. In many other places columns are standing
in rows and squares. Vineyards and olive-groves
now cover the grounds, and magnificent specimens
of carved stones lie scattered about among them,
from the top of the hill even down into the valley.
The origin of this city is told with simplicity and
clearness, in 1 Kings xvi. 23, 24. Its destruction
was foretold by Micah ; and, as we stand on the
hill and look on these columns shooting up from
clustering vines and green wheat, and the great
heaps among the olive trees in the valley below, Ave
read with thrilling interest the striking and fearful
prediction of that prophet, " I will make Samaria
as an heap of the field, and as plantings of a vine-
yard ; and I will pour down the stones thereof into
the valley, and I will discover the foundations there-
of." This prophecy is fulfilled to the very letter.
The cause of this destruction we learn from Uosea
11

322 hal's travels.

xiii. IG : "Samaria shall become desolate, for she
hath rebelled against her God."

Leaving Samaria, we traverse a most picturesque
and highly cultivated section of country. A ride
of six miles brings us to one of the richest and
most beautiful little plains we have seen. It is
Dothan. Here is where Joseph found his brethren
with their flocks the day they sold him. Elisha the
prophet once lived here.

A few hours' ride, and our hearts are rejoiced as
we enter that celebrated and extensive plain of Es-
draelon. It is extensive, rich, and beautiful, and is
drained by the river Kishon. This has been the
great battle-field of Palestine. The names of the
mountains which surround this plain are familiar to
every one who reads the Bible — and the towns are
also known. Upon entering the plain, we pass
through Jezreel, once the royal city where Ahab
built his palace. We stop and open our Bibles, and
in the twenty-first chapter of First Kings read the
story of poor j^aboth and his vinej-ard, and the
cruelty of the crafty Jezebel. We are now at the
base of Mount Gilboa, where Saul and Jonathan
fell. Tabor and Little Hermon are in plain view.
We pass through the towns of Shunem, N'ain, and
Endor. In fact, every village, hill, and valley we
see in this section, possesses scriptural interest.
There have been innumerable battles fought and
rivers of blood shed just where we now are. Here
the Israelites have fought with the Midianites, the
Amalekites, the Philistines, the Syrians, and all the

hal's travels. 823

Canaanitish tribes, time and again. Here, too,
many of the prophets lived. We pause in Nain,
and read the touching story of the raising from the
dead of the widow's son by our Lord. In En dor
we read of Saul's interview with the witch, when
she called up the Prophet SamueL

In the distance, away to the left, we see the blue sum-
mit of Mount Carmel, and straight ahead, away across
the plain, rises Tabor, a tall single cone standing all
alone. We press forward to the latter, for we must
camp there to-night. As we cross the rich plain,
we are amazed to see what a small proportion of it
is cultivated. But then we must remember that ,
there is no encouragement here for industry. This
is the home of the thievish Bedouin, who scours the
smooth surface of the plain on his fleet mare in
search of plunder. This region has always been
insecure, both for farmer and traveller, since history
began. The Bedouins make frequent incursions
from beyond the Jordan, destroy whole crops, and
drive off" as many cattle as they desire. This know-
ledge is very annoying to my friend Smith, and ho
now openly declares himself in favor of tillibuster-
ism. He wants to go home and raise a company
of fillibusters, and bring them over here to exter-
minate the thieving Arabs, lie thinks a few hun-
dreds of Uncle Sam's boys would either civilize or
exterminate them ; but rather favors the latter.
Smith generally has very correct notions of things.

We now approach Mount Tabor, certainly the
most beautiful mountain we have seen, for it is

324 hal's travels.

thicklj dotted with small oak trees, a sight we have
not before met with in Palestine. A hard climb of
fourteen hundred feet brings us to the summit.
The view from here is lovely beyond description.
"VVe take in the whole plain of Esdraelon at a
glance, from the foot of the hill below us to the base
of Carmel and Gilboa, one unbroken sea of verdure.
Little Hermon is before us, and the villages of Nain
and Endor clinging to its side. To the east we see
a long stretch of the Jordan valley, and the moun-
tains of Gilead beyond it. To the north-east we
see a small portion of the Sea of Galilee, and away,
very far away beyond we see the towering cone of
snowy Hermon, and a portion of the Lebanon
range. On the summit of Tabor we find massive
ruins of an ancient city. We know nothing of
these ruins. It was evidently a fortified city of
immense strength. Many suppose Tabor to be the
Mount of Transfiguration. It was in the plain near
the base of this mountain that the bloody battle
between the French, under ISTapoleon I., and the
Turks, occurred. This would have been a glorious
point from which to view the battle.

We now leave Tabor, and proceed to Tiberias,
about five hours' ride, where we shall spend the Sab-
bath— and a fitting place it is to spend the day of
rest. Tiberias is a walled town, containing about
two or three thousand inhabitants, just on the mar-
gin of the Sea of Galilee. It is noted for filth and
fleas, the latter of which are without number, and
of marvellous size. It is said that the flea congress

HAL'S TRAVELS. 325

assembles lierc, and if so, we can readily believe
that they hold night sessions, and present "bills"
incessantly. We can here sing with feeling that
beautiful parody which runs thus :

"Oft in the stilly night,

Eve slumber's chains have bound me,
I feel the cursed bite
Of something crawling round me."

Smith carries the bass beautifully, and Miss Kissiah
screams out the treble enchantiugly.

Almost every spot around this little sea is holy
ground, for here is where our Saviour lived, after
he was rejected by the people of Nazareth. He
taught the multitudes on these shores, and chose
some of his apostles from the lishing-boats on its
waters. But these shores at that day were not so
silent and desolate as now ; they were teeming with
life. Several cities lay at intervals along its margin
— such as Capernaum, Chorazin, the two Bethsaidas,
Gamala, Ilippas, Scythopolis, Gadara, Tiberias, etc.,
etc. Vast multitudes lived here, and thej^ followed
the Lord daily to hear his preaching. Sometimes
he was so thronged that he would enter into a boat
and thrust out from the shore. Just over yonder
we see the place where he once fed five thousand
people with a few loaves and fishes ; and just here,
on this little hill, he fed another company of seven
thousand in a like miraculous manner. AVe read
our Bible here with intense interest, because the
scenes to which they relate were here. Just oppo-
site to where we now stand is the place where

326 hal's travels.

Gadara stood, and wliere the Gadarenes were so
alarmed at tlie teachings and power of the Lord.

We take a boat and sail partly round the sea, (it
is but a little sea,) and visit the ruins of many of the
ancient cities, such as Capernaum, Chorazin, etc.,
all of which possess wonderful interest. We spend
most of Saturday and the whole of Sunday in wan-
dering, and reading the Scriptures — not forgetting
to bathe in the sacred waters. The only inhabited
city on this sea now is Tiberias, and it seems going
to destruction.

Our sail upon the sea is very pleasant, for there
is just breeze enough to waft our little ship merrily
along. As we sail we read the story of the great
storm that once occurred here, and the great calm
which followed, when our Saviour rebuked the
winds. We read, too, of his walking upon the
water, and of Peter's daring attempt to do the same.

We leave Tiberias to-morrow for Nazareth, having
changed the plan of our route. The danger of rob-
bers along the road, and some of our party being
pressed for time, we shall not go to Damascus, but
proceed to Beyrout, by way of Tyre, Sidon, etc. — a
more interesting route, I think, than the one by
Damascus, for it will take us by Can a and Nazareth
and Carmel, and many other places I desire to see.
Farewell till I write again. Hal.

hal's thavels. 327

LETTER XXX.

TIBERIAS TO BEY ROUT.

There is a commotion in our camp this morning
— a running to and fro of our party, and an expres-
sion of alarm on every countenance. Brown is miss-
ing ! Yes, the daring Brown, whose long hair
and immense beard and moustache have rendered
him the admiration of the ladies of our party — es-
pecially Mrs. Smith — is gone, and nobody knows
where, though all believe that he is kidnapped by
the Bedouins. Search has been made for him upon
the hills and all along the sea-shore, and whoops
and yells have been echoed, from crag to crag in
vain. Brown answers not. He went quietly to
bed in his tent last night, and has not been seen
since. lie must be in the hands of the banditti, for
breakfast has now been read}' and waiting for half
an hour, and still he comes not — a circumstance
never before known since the commencement of
our travels — for Brown is not a man to slis-ht the
table comforts. Perhaps he has gone up on the
Alount of Beatitudes, (which is hard by,) to meditate,
perhaps to pray. But no. Brown is not addicted
to such practices, that we arc aware of. Besides,

328 hal's travels.

we have fisli — fresh fish from the waters of Galilee
— for breakfast, and Brown is astonishingly fond of
fish. But we must not stop supinely here. Captain
Smith has given the word of command, and we
must be in the saddle and away. The country
must be scoured, and Smith swears he will kill the
first Arab we meet if he give not information of our
lost friend — and Smith's oaths are fearful. Arming
ourselves is but the work of a moment, and we
gallop away from our encampment vowing to eat
not until our comrade is found — for it will never do
to give Mr. Brown up so! "Dare-devil" and his
rider are of course iu the lead, and the flag is again
unfurled to the morning breeze. We take our
course along the margin of the sea of Galilee to-
wards the outlet of the Jordan, for in that region, it
is said, the robbers most do congregate.

A brisk ride of a mile brings us within a fcAv
hundred yards of the hot springs, which issue from
the base of the mountain and flow oft' into the sea,
when — lo, and behold ! we see the comely form of
the lost Brown issuing from the old building which
covers the springs, and innocently taking his course
towards us — evidently as much surprised to see us
in battle array as we are delighted to see him.
He has only been taking a hot bath for his rheuma-
tism, having got up and left the camp before the
rest of us were astir. Smith gives him a round
cursing (Smith will be profane, notwithstanding the
sacredness of the scenes around us) for his impru-
dence, and we wind our way back to the encamp-

hal's travels. 329

ment, feeling a little foolish, Avhere we find the
ladies iu mortal terror, having seen a couple of
armed Arabs prowling near them during our short
absence. The delight of again seeing Brown return
unharmed, soon recovers them, and Mrs. Smith
kindly pats his ruddy check, and smilingly tells
him he must not do so any more. Mrs. S. seems
to have a growing fondness for Brown's moustache.

We sit down to a cold breakfast, and by the time
we are through, the tents are struck, the baggage
packed, and the jingle of the little bells on the bag-
gage mules is soon heard as they wind their way up
the steep mountain side. We mount our horses,
take a last look at the beautiful little sea of Galilee,
bid farewell to Tiberias and its swarms of fleas,
and take the road towards N'azareth — for we must
sleep there to-night.

The country through which wo travel is very
pretty and picturesque — rich, but poorly cultivated.
We pass by some very pretty towns — only pretty,
however, at a distance — surrounded with rich
groves of olive trees. In the distance we see snowy
Ilermon, and peaks of the Lebanon range. The
first town we arrive at possessing scriptural interest
is Cana, which, for a wonder, is a neat village,
prettily situated on a hill-side, and surrounded by
olive and other fruit trees. Cana of (Jalilee is
memorable as the place where our Lord performed
his first miracle of changing water into wine at a
marriage-feast. Nothing else is recorded of it that
I know of. There is a large spring of water just

330 HAL'S TRAVELS.

outside tlie town, from which no doubt the water
was taken at the time of our Lord's visit, as it is the
only spring near. We see a number of the village
damsels around it with their water-pots. In an old
Greek church here some water-pots are shown,
said to be the same w^hich contained the miraculous
wine. We believe as much of the story as we
choose. There are remains of an old house here,
said to be that of IsTathanael.

We now hasten on to Nazareth — one of the most
sacred spots on the face of the earth. We find
it a picturesque little city, built upon a hill, but
surrounded by mountains overtopping it. It con-
tains a population of over four thousand, two-thirds
of whom are Christian, and decidedly the cleanest,
best-looking, best-mannered people we have found
in Palestine. It is the cleanest and best built
town we have seen — the houses all built of light-
colored stone, with flat roofs.

Nazareth is as a household word throughout
Christendom, for it was the home of the Saviour's
boyhood, the scene of his early labors, his prayers,
and his whole private life. How often must he
have run in boyhood about these streets ! How
often must he have accompanied his mother to this
very fountain here, hard by our camp ! How often
must he have sat with his parents in the quiet even-
ings on the housetop, as is still the custom ! How
often must he have wandered over these rocky hill-
tops, meditating on his divine mission, and holding
sweet communion with his Father ! But we have

ual's travels. 331

no memorials of this period of the Saviour's life.
It is enough for us to know that the Lord dwelt
here ; that for thirty years he trod this spot of
earth, and that his eyes were familiar with the
objects spread around. In his public life we know
of onl}-^ tAvo incidents recorded in connection with
"the city in which he was brought up." In one
instance the Nazarenes were so offended and exas-
perated when he preached that "they thrust him
out of the city, and led him unto the brow of a hill
on which their city was built, that they might cast
him down headlong." Upon glancing round we
can see more than one "brow" which might have
answered their wicked designs. From that moment
JS^azareth ceased to be his home, for " he came and
dwelt in Capernaum." When he visited " his own"
people again they sneered at him, and said, " Is not
this the carpenter, the son of Mary, the brother of
James, and Joses, and of Judas, and Simon ? And
are not his sisters here with us ? And they were
offended at him."

"While in Nazareth we go round of course to see
the holy places which the monks are alwa3's ready
to point out — for money — such as the place of An-
nunciation, Mary's house, Joseph's carpenter-shop,
etc., etc. ; but we care for none of these things. It
is sufficient for us to know that Jesus and Mary and
Joseph lived here. These localities are but guessed
at b}'^ the monks.

This fountain here just by our camp is called
"Mary's Fountain;" and it is said that she was

332 hal's travels.

there drawing water when the first salutation of the
angel came to her.

From Nazareth we proceed towards Acre, pass-
ing near the base of the beautiful Mount Carmel.
We do not climb the steep acclivity, but from the
plain we see the place where the event occurred
which gives to Carmel its chief interest — the place
of Elijah's sacrifice. We open our Bibles and read
the story as recorded in 1 Kings xviii. 17-46. It
was just up there the great multitude of people
were assembled to witness the conflict between the
one prophet of God and the eight hundred and fifty
prophets of Baal. The people no doubt looked on
with intense interest, while from morning till noon,
and from noon till the time of the evening sacrifice,
the priests of Baal cried in vain. When the sun
was sinking behind the mountain, Elijah's sacrifice
was accepted. The last act of the tragedy was per-
formed on this plain — possibly near where we now
stand — when Elijah brought the eight hundred and
fifty defeated prophets down to this little river
Kishon, and slew them here. jS'ow, reader, get
your Bible and read the eloquent portion of Scrip-
ture relating this tragedy. Carmel is truly beau-
tiful, its slopes being covered, like those of Tabor,
with small trees.

We pass through a lovely region to-day. The
plain of Acre is one of the richest in Palestine —
producing alike luxuriant crops, and the rankest
weeds in the country. The city of Acre is not men-
tioned in Scripture, so far as I know, but it is cer-

HAL'S TRAVELS. 333

tainly one of the most important towns in the
country. It is a very strongly fortified place, and
contains about five thousand inhabitants, including
a garrison of Turkish soldiers, i^apoleon called it
the key to Palestine. Acre is also called Ptolemais.
Man}' battles have been fought here, and the blood
of thousands of brave men has drenched these plains.
It was a place of much importance during the time
of the crusades. But we must not stop to recount
the scenes that have occurred here.

From Acre we take the road to Tyre, which
is most of the way along the seashore, and over
exceedingly rough spurs of the Lebanon mountains,
that jut out into the sea occasionally. In crossing
these spurs our horses are called upon to exercise
that peculiar talent known only to the horses of this
country — to-wit, "getting up stairs" and climbing
ladders. "We have left Palestine, and are now in
Phoenicia, and to-night we sleep at Tyre, the ancient
"mistress of the seas." These snowy mountain
peaks to our right are the mountains of Lebanon.
Just before arriving at Tyre we pass some remark-
able fountains and reservoirs of immense size, and
which are as old as history itself. The water is
brought down in aqueducts from Lebanon, and
served in ancient times to supply the great city of
Tyre with excellent water. The water is ample to
turn any amount of machinery, but it is onlj- used
now to turn one solitary mill. IsTear the fountains
we see some beautiful gazelles feeding, but they flee
at our approach.

334 hal's travels.

We now approacli Tyre, where we rest to-niglit.
We find its walls broken down, and every thing
about it having an old and dingy appearance ; but
8till it is not the desolate place we expected to find
it. It has a population of three or four thousand,
and upon entering the gate we find the streets com-
paratively clean, and the people looking decidedly
respectable for Asiatics. This was once the greatest
of the Phoenician cities, even greater than its mo-
ther Sidon ; and the great number of old columns
and sculptured stones we see lying about convince
us that a superb style of architecture prevailed here
in olden times. These stones and columns are al-
most innumerable, built up in the modern walls, and
piles of them lying in the water, and all along the
beach. We are reminded at every step, and by every
glance, of the prophecies uttered against this city :
"And they shall make a spoil of thy riches, and
make a prey of thy merchandise, and they shall
break down thy walls, and destroy thy pleasant
houses. . . . They shall lament over thee, say-
ing, ' What city is like Tyrus, like the destroyed in
the midst of the sea !' " and again, " They shall break
down the towers of Tyrus, and make her like the
top of a rock. It shall be a place for the spreading
of nets in the midst of the sea." Here we see scores
of fishermen's nets spread upon the old broken walls,
to dry. We sit down here on this exquisitely wrought
capital, which once no doubt adorned a graceful
column in some magnificent building, and read with
intense interest the 27th chapter of Ezekiel, which,

II A L ' S T K A V E L S . 335

for graphic power of description and prophetic ac-
curacy, is probably unequalled in the whole compass
of literature. "\Ve recommend a perusal of it to our
friends.

We are also interested in this cit^^of Tyre because
it was once the city of King Hiram — and a very
clever man he was, too, no doubt, for he w^as a par-
ticular friend of King David, and furnished that
monarch with both materials and workmen to build
his palace. There also existed a good understand-
ing between Iliram and Solomon — as always should
be the case between high-minded gentlemen — and
the former furnished the latter with an immense
amount of cedar-wood, etc., for the building of the
Temple at Jerusalem. I told the story of Hiram's
benevolence to my friend, Smith this morning, but
he was not disposed to do justice to the Tyrian king.
He thought that Hiram knew " w^hich side of his
bread was buttered," and only furnished materials
to the kings of Israel because he feared them. We
think differently.

"We make a little excursion to the tomb of King
Hiram, which is some distance outside the town.
We find it rather a remarkable monument, standing
alone, apart alike from human habitation and an-
cient ruin — a solitary venerable relic of remote an-
tiquity. It is an immense sarcophagus of limestone,
hewn out of a single block, twelve feet long, and
eight wide, (according to the measure of my walk-
ing-cane,) and six high, covered with a lid five feet
thick, and resting on a massive pedestal ten feet

336 hal's travels.

high. The monument is perfect, though weather-
beaten. And here was deposited the remains of
Solomon's friend and ally !

Leaving Tyre, we take the road to Sidon, which is
through the plain of Phoenicia, where a mournful,
solitary silence prevails. The plain between the
mountain and the sea is little more than a mile
wide, and very rich, but, sad to say, most of it lies
waste. The mountain sides and wild glens above
are clustering with villages ; while every available
spot is cultivated in terraces ; but the plain is deso-
late. The only signs of life we see as we ride along
are a few Arab tents, and an occasional horseman,
armed to the teeth, and oftener a little troop of
gazelles. Security for life and property is unknown
here save beneath the walls of cities, or amid the
mountain-fastnesses. Hence the plains lie waste,
while the steep mountain-sides and crevices are cul-
tivated. We find some ancient ruins along the way,
but know nothing of them. The only place of
scriptural interest we pass is the village of Sarepta,
the place where the Prophet Elijah came during the
great famine, and met the ' poor widow woman
gathering sticks to prepare her meal. We remem-
ber the interview between them, and the sequel:
how the widow's meal and oil were miraculously
multiplied, and how her dying son was subsequently
restored to health by the prophet. These miracles
impressed Divine truth upon that poor woman, and
she confessed — " Now by this I know that thou art
a man of God, and that the word of the Lord in

hal's travels. 337

thy moutli is truth." We open our Bibles hero
and read the touching story in the 17th chapter of
1 Kings. It is said that here is where the Syro-
phenician woman met the Saviour during his visit to
the "coasts of Tyre and Sidon." "We read the
little story in the 15th chapter of Matthew, and also
in the 7th chapter of Mark.

"We here get our first view of Sidon, away in
the distance, emboAvered in luxuriant gardens and
orchards. The view is most lovely, though three
hours' ride distant. Upon entering the city we find
the streets after the usual Eastern type, with the
usual amount of filth, and running in no particular
direction, but winding about promiscuously. Some
of the houses, however, approach elegance, especi-
ally those along the wall overlooking the orchards.
It contains a population of about five thousand.
Just outside the town on the seashore we find our
tents pitched, and, as usual, surrounded by a swarm
of the natives, who are always curious to see stran-
gers. Among the rest we are met by a venerable
old gentleman and all his fiimily, consisting of his
wife, a son, and four grown daughters. They are
Protestant Christians, and meet us as brethren.
We are glad to see them, and shake them heartily
by the hand. The daughters speak English, having
been taught at the Bey rout Mission. They are
all dressed in the true Eastern style — the flowing
trowsers and long white veils. They carry on a
school here, and tell us that they occasionally gain
additions to their little Church. A Protestant

338 hal's travels.

Cliristiau is a rare sight in this seemingly God-
forsaken country. "We do not remember the name
of this family — and who could remember a regular
Arab name ?

We see very few remains of antiquity about
Sidon, although it is one of the oldest cities in the
world, as we find it mentioned in the tenth chapter
of Genesis, along with Gaza and Sodom and
Gomorrah. It is said to have been founded by the
great-grandson of Noah — and that, you know, was
long, long ago. "VYe find many allusions made to
this city in various parts of Scripture. Paul touched
here when on his voyage to Athens. Sidon was
once the mistress of the seas, but afterwards Tyre
took the wind out of her sails, and became the
great city of the East.

"We leave Sidon, and take the road along the
seashore to Beyrout, one of the most bleak, barren,
desolate roads we ever travelled. We plunge
through deep sand, and climb rugged spurs of the
mountain from morning till night, with a most
withering Syrian sun pouring down upon us with-
out mercy. We shall remetnber this day's ride as
the most — in fact, the only disagreeable day of our
journey.

But we rejoice not a little as we approach Bey-
rout. It is like entering Paradise. Before enter-
ing the city we pass through a forest of oranges,
lemons, figs, almonds, apricots, peaches, pears,
olives, pines, and mulberries, all growing luxuri-
antly, forming a forest of beautifully tinted foliage.

hal's travels. 339

Going into Bo^TOut is like getting into tlie "white
eettleraents" after wandering long among savages,
for here we see white men, and many buildings
that really look European in style. It is a city con-
taining about fifty thousand inhabitants, a good
many of whom are Protestant Christians, for the
American missionaries have done wonders here.

Here ends our tent- life in Palestine and Syria.
Here we bid farewell to mules and horses, for our
next ride will be upon the troubled waters of the
restless ocean. It is aftecting to see the parting
between Smith and "Dare-devil;" for truly if man
ever loved horse, Smith is the man, and "Dare-
devil" the horse. Smith has clipped a whisp of
hair from the horse's mane, (he has none on his
tail,) which he intends to carry as a souvenir. I
think a few tears were shed at the parting. "We
also take leave of Ibraheem, our dragoman, and he,
from absolute sorrow, immediately gets on a spree.
The same may be said of Ilalleel, his assistant, and
poor Demetri, the cook — for they all claim to be.
Christians, and are therefore privileged to indulge
in villainous drinks. 'Our tents are furled up, our
camp equipage stowed away, and we betake our-
selves to the good cheer of the Hotel Bellevue,
where we find some other Americans, one of whom,
a Mr. Boots, seems to know something about ever}'
thing in the world, and takes much delight in tell-
ing all he knows. I may tell you something about
him at some future time. He is to accompany us
to Constantinople, at which we are all of course

340 hal's travels.

wonderfully pleased — for Mr. Boots is a man not to
be lightly regarded, being a man of huge prepon-
derosity, and marvellous ability. We have already
set him down as a trump card.

We remain in Beyrout two or three days to rest,
and during the time wander about the city and
through the groves and gardens to our hearts' con-
tent. We visit the American Mission School and
Publishing House, where we are courteously re-
ceived by Rev. Dr. Van Dyck, Dr. Thomson, and
others connected with the Mission. We are all
invited to Dr. Thomson's to tea, where we spend
one of the most agreeable evenings we have passed
since leaving home. We meet many missionaries,
and other Americans, among them Rev. Dr. Hatty,
from Damascus, Rev. Mr. Porter, from Sidon, and
Rev. Mr. Jessup, from Aleppo. Dr. Thomson is a
veteran in the missionary cause, having labored
here for eighteen years. He is the author of the
" Land and the Book," a most excellent work on
Palestine.

This country is greatly disturbed now. An old
feud between the Maronite Christians and the
Druses is being revived, and much bloody work is
anticipated. A great many murders have been
committed within the last few days in the moun-
tains of Lebanon, between here and Damascus.
An open war of extermination between these two
sects is anticipated. It matters little which exter-
minates the other, for they are villains all.

We are now preparing to leave Beyrout. Our

hal's travels. 341

steamer sails for Constantinople to-morrow. I may
write you another letter one of these days. Till
I do, good-bye. Yours, Hal.

P. S. — I must not forget to tell j'ou that I have
bought some splendid Arab horses, which, if I suc-
ceed in getting them home, will create quite a sen-
sation, I think. In spirit they are of the "Dare-
devil" breed. The Arab horses, you know, have
long been celebrated throughout the world for their
iieetness and bottom. It is said that they can run
all day. They are also horses of great beauty.
They are mainly noted, however, for long wind.

CliDAll OF LEDANON.

342 hal's travels.

LETTER XXXI.

BEY ROUT TO PARIS.

From the rumbling noise that comes floating
across the great waters, I am convinced that the
political caldron at home is boiling over, and per-
haps scalding folks. The grandiloquent farce re-
cently enacted in Charleston has, I see, burst the
Democratic party wide open, and that some of the
actors in that funny scene now threaten, for mere
spite, to tear the Union into several separate and
distinct pieces. The Black Eepublicans, I observe,
sneer and slyly laugh in their sleeves at the farce ;
but they too — many of them — are willing to assist
in the threatened destruction ; and, between the
two destructive factions, the danger seems immi-
nent, judging from the sputtering noise they make.
But while these things are going on, I calmly smoke
my pipe, and trust that the fool-killer may come
along in time to save our country from the claws
of those ranting cock-sparrows who bestride the
editorial tripod or mount the stump, to j)reach
destruction to gaping multitudes. With this com-
fortable hope I shall smoke on, and leave politics
alone, and tell you something more about my
travels in the East.

hal's travels. 343

Now, if you would accompany me, it is absolutely
necessary for you to again draw on your seven-
league boots, and nerve yourself for the longest
course you ever ran ; for this letter must take us all
the way from the coasts of Asia Minor to the shores
of sunny France — from Beyrout to Paris. Nor
shall we go direct, for we must needs go by Smyrna,
Constantinople, and Athens, taking a bird's-eye
view of these cities, and several other interesting
points along the route.

My last letter left us, I think, on the point of sail-
ing from the city of Beyrout, which we shall now
proceed to do. We expect a row with the custom-
house officers, and are not disappointed in our ex-
pectations. They deem us proper subjects for
plunder, and consequently proceed to plunder us.
They examine our baggage most rigidly, and un-
blushingly declare that most of the little trinkets
we have picked up in the Holy Land are forbidden
by law to be taken out of the country. "\Ve bluster
a good deal, and my friend Smith even goes so far
as to get out one of his "six-shooters." But it's
no use : they are too many for us. Finally, rather
than lose our little souvenirs, we pay a liberal
"backsheesh," which is wonderfully efficacious in
making an official blind to the law. We shake the
dust from our feet, and go aboard the steamer that
awaits us in the harbor.

All aboard, and the whistle has sounded for the
last time. We all stand on deck, and, as the noble
vessel steams out of the bay, we take a last look at

34-4 hal's travels.

one of the most lovely scenes man ever looked upon.
Beyrout, with its white houses embowered in green
groves of olive, pine, mulberry, fig. and orange,
backed by the picturesque mountains of Lebanon,
and the still taller peaks of Anti-lebanou, tipped
with eternal snow, and all these gilded by the set-
ting sun, make a scene which no painter ever has
or ever can portray.

Now let us see who are our companions du voy-
age. A glance tells us that it is a motley company,
composed of representatives from almost every na-
tion under the sun — Greeks, Arabians, Turks, Per-
sians, and Europeans. Here we have an old English
Consul, who has -recently " gone and got himself
married," and has been taking a little bridal tour;
a Turkish Pasha, who sits like a fat, lazy beast, as
he is, and smokes continually ; several of the Ger-
man nobility — quite respectable -looking people;
(we should like Countess Jaw-breaker better, how-
ever, if she did not sit upon deck with the gentle-
men and smoke cigars ;) also a number of Greeks
of the better sort, and a goodly number of Ameri-
cans. And here is our new friend Mr. Boots, the
knowing man. We are glad to have him along ;
for he has travelled the route before, and knows it
all by heart, and can tell it too. Besides, he has
read Virgil and Homer and Ovid, and all them
Greek and Latin fellows, and can tell us all about
the classic ground over which we travel. How for-
tunate we are, to fall in with Mr. Boots ! He speaks
French, German, and Arabic !

iial's travels. 345

But we arc in a great hurry to finish up our East-
ern tour, and have no time to dwell upon the varied
accomplishments of Mr. Boots. We must pitsh
ahead, and only note the points of most interest
along the way ; for we are heartily tired of the
Asiatics, and long to get among more civilized peo-
ple. Our first stop is at the city of Marino, Island
of Cyprus, where we go ashore and ramble through
the town for a few hours, visiting two or three
churches, and a Greek school, said to be somewhat
celebrated. We see some ancient ruins, but don't
know what they are. The most enjoyable portion
of our visit is an hour spent with Mr. Barclay,
United States Consul, whose Cyprus wine we all
pronounce excellent. In a distant part of the island
Mr. Boots points out Mount Olj-mpus, and dis-
courses learnedly about the Titans, etc. ; but we
don't exactly get the hang of his remarks. The
Apostle Paul landed here, I think, when on his way
to Greece. Our next stopping-place is the Island
and city of Rhodes, where the great Colossus used
to stand, with its feet straddled across the mouth of
the harbor, for ships to sail in between its legs.
The Colossus is gone now, and the glory of Rhodes
has long since departed. It is the most strongly-
fortified town we have seen ; but a ramble of an
hour or two through its streets satisfies us that it is
a most miserable place. Boots tells us that in
ancient times Rhodes was one of the most magnifi-
cent cities of the world, and gives us a thrilling
account of how, in more modern times, it becamo

346 hal's travels.

famous as the stronghold of the Knights of St. John
of Jerusalem, and was the scene of the most heroic
defences on record. But the valorous Knights were
finally beaten by the barbarous Turks. Their city
was taken from them, and they escaped to Malta.
jN^o Christian is now sufi'ered to dwell within the
walls of this city. Rhodes is the most eastern
island of the ^gean Sea. The apostle also touched
here in his journey to the West. "We pass many
other of the JEgean Islands, but have not time to
note the classic harangues delivered upon each by
our learned friend Boots. We note the island of
Coos, because it was one of Paul's stopping-places,
and Patmos, because it will ever be memorable as
the island to which John the Evangelist was ban-
ished, and where he wrote the book of Revelation.
We now approach the beautiful city of Smyrna,
a large city situated at the head of a long bay and
good harbor. It is beautiful to look at from the sea,
but an entrance into it convinces us that it is not
what it promised to be. Smyrna is the great fig
market of the world. Most of the figs we have in
the United States are brought from here. A great
many American ships are loaded here annually. In
wandering about the town, we are surprised to see
the great number of lambs that are being slaughtered,
and conclude that the Smyrnians are certainly the
greatest sheep-eating people in the world. At the
door of almost every house the bloody work is going
on. Our surprise, however, somewhat abates when
we are told that it is the eve of the Passover, and

hal's travels^ 347

that it is tlie paschal lamb that is being slain. These
people all seem to join iu the great feast. "We find
the bazaars of Smyrna extensive and rich, almost
equal to those of Grand Cairo. It is a much better
built city than Cairo. One of the seven Churches
of Asia, mentioned in Revelation, was located in
this city. We visit the remains of an old amphi-
theatre, on the heights just above the city, where it
is said that Polycarp, an early Christian martyr, fell
a victim to the fury of the people and the wild beasts.
His tomb is hard by. The massive ruins on these
heights attest the greatness of this city in ancient
times.

Leaving Smyrna, we soon pass by the Island of
Mytelene, and Tenedos, and the Plains of Troy— and
here our friend Boots waxes eloquent indeed. Talks
about the Greeks and the Persians, the Macedonians
and the Trojans, the Phoenicians and the Romans ;
about Xerxes, and Ajax, and Achilles, and ever so
many other ancient worthies — all of whom he speaks
of as familiarly as if he knew them personally. lie
then enters into a lengthy dissertation upon the
gods and goddesses of old, and talks so learnedl}',
that we all gape and wonder with an admiration
equal to that manifested by the rustics when the
village schoolmaster spoke, as told by one Gold-
smith, lie told us of one Coelus, first King of
Heaven, who gave his crown to his son Titan, who
afterwards abdicated in- favor of his brother Saturn,
on condition that he (Saturn) should raise no male
children. Saturn's wife, Ops, soon after had twins,

348 hal's travels.

whom the father had baked into a pie for the dinner
of himself and wife. Saturn did this barbarous
thing without his wife's knowledge, and treated it
as a good joke ; but she fainted outright, as most
women would have done, as soon as she knew that
she had helped to devour her own children. Ops,
like a dutiful wife, however, soon presented her
husband with another child, whom she called Ju-
piter. This Jupiter would no doubt have followed
the other children into a pie, had not Ops deceived
her cannibal husband by giving him a stone to eat,
telling him it was the child. She was vastly pleased
at the success of her stratagem, but she was forced
to keep the child hid in a cave on Mount Ida, (now
in sight,) out of the way of Saturn, where he was fed
on milk and honey, and grew up. Old Titan made
war upon Saturn as soon as he found that he had
a grown-up male child — a violation of the condition
upon which he obtained his throne. Jupiter proved
himself a real Jack the Giant-killer, in assisting his
father against the monster Titans. After subduing
the Titans, Jupiter drove his papa from the king-
dom, and assumed the reins himself. After firmly
establishing himself upon the throne of the kingdom
of Heaven, he divided the empire of the world with
his two brothers, who had grown up in secret as he
had. To Neptune he gave the sea, and to Pluto the
infernal regions. All these things Mr. Boots tells
us as we quietly steam along among the Grecian
Isles, where the occurrences are supposed to have
taken place. He tells us of a war waged against

HAL'S TRAVELS. 349

Jupiter by the giants who wished to revenge the
death of their rchitions, the Titans. These giants
were earth-born monsters of great power, and used
rocks, oaks, and burning woods for their weapons,
and heaped Mount Ossa upon Pelion to scale the
walls of heaven. The gods lied from before them ;
went into Egypt, and assumed the shape of animals,
to screen themselves. Jupiter, however, soon rallied,
and, with his son Hercules, put the giants to flight.
After this war, Jupiter gave himself up to pleasure,
and as there was no law against bigamy or poly-
gamy, he married him several wives, and among
the rest his sister Juno. These wives could not
agree, and many black eyes and bloody noses were
the consequence. Jupiter and Juno were in the
habit of indulo-ins: in reo:ular "set-to's," the Madam
generally coming out second best; but she paid
Jupiter with interest, by pitching into his son Her-
cules, and giving him particular thunder. For this
injustice she was suspended from heaven, with an
anvil tied to her feet. Her son Vulcan, a deformed
blacksmith, undertook to release her, seeing which,
Jupiter raised his foot and kicked him clear over
the battlements of heaven, when he fell to earth,
performing the journey in nine days. He alighted
on the island of Lemnos, (past which we are now
sailing,) where he set up a blacksmith-shop, and em-
ployed his time in forging thunderbolts for Jupiter.
But it would be tedious to recount all the wonderful
stories told us by Mr. Boots. He left Juno still
suspended from heaven with the anvil tied to her

350 hal's travels.

feet. Suppose she is still there. "What a comfort
it is to have such a learned man in our company !
He knows some story connected with the gods,
about every island we pass.

We now enter the Strait of the Dardanelles or
Hellespont, w^iich divides Europe from Asia. The
strait is narrow, and fortresses frown upon us from
every height. We pass but one town that seems to
be important — Grallipoli. Boots tells us a story
about this town, but we don't remember it. He
points out to us the very place where Lord Byron
swam across the Hellespont. We now leave the
strait and enter the sea of Marmora, through which
wc ride in a storm that threatens to break things —
but don't. We get through safe. The storm dies
away, and we glide smoothly into the still waters
of the Bosphorus, when — O ye powers ! What a
scene bursts upon us ! The Queen of the East !
The city of the Sultan — Constantinople — so beau-
tiful that we are bewildered. It looks like a city
made without hands. Had all the gods and demi-
gods known to heathen mythology put their heads
together and wrought for centuries, their united
labors could never have fashioned any thing more
beautiful. At the sight of this queenly city our
steamer seems to dash forward wdth increased speed,
and the white buildings and minarets rapidly grow
more and more distinct, until we distinguish the
celebrated mosque of St. Sophia and the Sultan's
palace. The steamer now turns a jutting point of
land called Seraglio Point, and glides at half speed

hal's travels. 351

into the Golden Horn, the splendid harbor of Con-
stantinople. At this moment the gorgeous pano-
rama that opens to our view is one of tlie most ex-
traordinary that it is possible to conceive — and an
attempt to describe it would be a dead failure. A
bay surrounded by an amphitheatre of hills, rising
one above another, covered with buildings, domes,
minarets, and fairy palaces, down to the water's
edge, intermingled with foliage of cypress groves.
The harbor is filled with ships, steamers, and caiques,
(pleasure-boats,) skimming about in all directions.
The scene is not surpassed in the world. "We stand
upon the deck of our steamer and take a protracted
view, drinking in the beauty around us. Get into
a caique and are rowed to the shore, and find our-
selves actually in the city of Stamboul. It is well
that we took a lingering look at the city before
lauding, for the poetry vanishes immediately, as we
start up the steep, narrow, muddy street, in search
of a hotel. The contrast is even greater than being
transported from the Fifth Avenue to the most filthy
alley in Five Points.

But as we design only to take a bird's-eye view
of the cities we visit, we must hurrv through Con-
stantinople in high -pressure style. We first call
upon our clever American Minister, Mr. Williams,
who kindly receives us, and gives us a clue to the
"ropes" of the city. There are nearly three hun-
dred mosques here, but we only visit a few of the
most noted, going first, of course, to the Mosque of
St. Sophia, the largest and most noted, having once

352 hal's travels.

been a Christian cliurch, built by Emperor Constan-
tine. Christians are only admitted into this mosque
by special firman from the Grand Yizier, which we
obtain through much tribulation and large " back-
sheesh." After the mosques and the tombs of the
Sultans, we visit the celebrated palace and gardens
of the Seraglio, a faithful description of which
might possibly interest you ; but you must seek it
elsewhere. We next take a caique and make an
excursion of many miles up the Golden Horn, amid
scenes that can be properly called nothing but fairy-
like. Then we charter a diminutive steamer and
steam up the Bosphorus, and take a look at the
stormy waters of the Black Sea. The scenery along
the w^ay is as grand as it is beautiful. A great many
graceful palaces dot the shores of the Bosphorus.
The rest of our time we spend in wandering pro-
miscuously about the city, through streets that are
as filthy as they are narrow, and as crooked as they
know how to be. There are many open spaces and
squares, however, to relieve the monotony, and
fountains are innumerable. The bazaars are rich
and gorgeous beyond description, and are as nume-
rous as they are rich ; for all the business of Con-
stantinople is transacted in these bazaars. It is said
that an honest trader has never yet been found in
one of them ; and our experience has not been such
as to make us discredit the assertion. Villains all,
we believe them to be, but still we love to linger
among them ; for in these bazaars we see much to
amuse us. Every trade has its particular quarter.

hal's travels. 353

In one street nothing is seen bnt arms and "weapons
of different descriptions ; another is filled with
jewels, diamonds, and precions stones ; some are
lined with the costly goods of India, while nnmbers
of streets are occupied by shoemakers, cooks, con-
fectioners, etc., each being confined to a distinct
district. The difierent trades are appropriated to
difl'erent nations, and each dresses in the costume
of his country : the Armenians, with their huge
black caps; the Turks, with their immense tur-
bans ; the Persians, with their high conical sheep-
skin caps ; the Greeks, with their long red tar-
bouches hanging gracefully on one shoulder; then
the passengers in every costume — Turks, Albanians,
Egyptians, Circassians, Greeks, merchants, sheiks,
dervishes, slaves, water-sellers, and occasionally a
European or American, in a trim black coat and a
two-stor}^ stove-pipe hat, looking altogether out of
place — all these give a motley yet picturesque
appearance to the bazaars. And not the least at-
traction here is the great number of Turkish wo-
men, pushing along through the crowd, and peeping
roguishly at us from under their thin veils. Beware
of them ; for, in their intense curiosity, they may
pick your pockets.

But a few days' rambling must satisfy us with
Constantinople. We are anxious to hasten on to a
country where there is less thieving and more civil-
ization. "We go aboard the fine French steamer
"Carmel," and take a last look at the fairest city
upon earth, (but very like a whited sepulchre,)
12

354 iial's travels.

and set sail for Athens, leaving, with much regret,
our knowing friend Boots. In due course of time,
and the usual amount of sea- sickness — for the
weather is rough — we arrive at Pirseus, the port of
Athens. Lauding from the steamer, we take car-
riages and drive up one of the most lovely vales we
ever looked upon, surrounded by classic mountains,
so grouped as to form a landscape surpassed by
none. We whirl rapidly up the broad road five
miles, and in little more than one hour we are
standing upon the Acropolis, amid the ruins of the
great Parthenon. A more lovely day never dawned,
and the scene around us is perfectly enchanting.
"We know not which to admire most — the landscape
around, or the massive yet graceful ruins amid
which we stand. We glance alternately at one and
the other, and then look dowu upon the neat, clean-
looking modern city at our feet. The lovely plain
of Attica lies before us, dotted with vineyards and
olive-groves, and surrounded with the picturesque
and the beautifully tinted mounts of Parnes, Pen-
telicus, Hymettus, ^galoos. The south is open
to the sea — the Gulf of Salamis. It is hard indeed
to take our gaze from the delightful prospect, seem-
ingly more harmonious and pleasant to look upon
than any we have before seen. After gazing long,
however, we turn to the ruins, and grope amid
scenes of fallen splendor till we are weary with
walking. You have no doubt often read descrip-
tions of the great Athenian temples, and it would
be but a waste of time for me to attempt it. We

hal's travels. 355

find the I'artlieuon and the Erectheum in a more
ruinous state than we expected ; but the Temple of
Theseus we find almost perfect, and one of the most
graceful buildings we ever saw. It is filled with
broken statues and works of art, found by the
modern Athenians in their excavations. Of the
Temple of Jupiter Olympus nothing now remains
but some twenty or thirty columns, very massive,
and adorned with highly-wrought capitals. We
visit the Amphitheatre of Herodes, the Prison and
Tomb of Socrates, and many other places of inte-
rest to the reader of Athenian history.

One place we visit with feelings of more than
ordinary interest. It is Mars Hill, on the top
of which the great Apostle of the Gentiles once
stood and delivered a stump speech that will be
read and remembered as long as time shall last.
We sit down upon the very spot and read a report
of that speech, which we find in the seventeenth
chapter of Acts. This little hill stands just between
the temples of the Parthenon and Theseus, and is
an admirable place from which to address a large
audience — and methinks the speaker had a large
audience that day — " for all the Athenians and
strangers which were there spent their time in
nothing else but either to tell or hear some new
thing." We can imagine that we almost see those
philosophers of Epicureans and Stoics, as thej^ came
forward and sneeringly asked, "What will this bab-
bler say ?" Then Paul proudly arose and stood " in
the midst of Mars Ilill," and told the proud Athen-

356 hal's travels.

ians of tlieir ignorance and superstition ; and point-
ing up to the gorgeous temple of the Acropolis, we
can almost still hear his words ringing in the quiet
air as he said, " God that made the world, and all
things therein, seeing that he is Lord of heaven and
earth, dwelleth not in temples made loith hands!"
But, as might have been expected, some of those
philosophers mocked when they heard the sermon.
Some of the same sort live at the present day, and
would no doubt mock if Paul were to return to
earth and preach as he then preached.

But we must leave Athens. This document is
already getting lengthy, but we are bound to make
it carry us to Paris. We go through the modern
city of Athens, and are much pleased with the
beaut}'^ and cleanliness of the new part, but the
older part is horrible. The palace of King Otho is
a tasteful but not a gorgeous building. We go
through the King's gardens and gather a bouquet
of flowers, but as neither King Otho nor Queen Otho
are at home, we do not call at the palace. Rev. Dr.
King, the high-standing and popular American mis-
sionary and teacher, is our guide through the city,
to whom we return many thanks. Athens contains
a population of about fifty thousand.

We are oft' again on the bounding billows, and,
after doubling.Cape Matapan, see no more land until
we strike the coast of Italy, and enter the Strait of
Messina, when we " fetch a compass and sail to
Rhegium," and thence to the city of Messina,
which we find in a terrible state of confusion, the

hal's travels. 357

place being in a state of revolt, and tlie soldiers
having possession of the city. It is with much diffi-
culty we get permission to land, the government
being terribly alarmed on account of a rumor that
Garibaldi is coming down upon them with filli-
busters. Our Consul finally gets permission, how-
ever, and we go ashore, to see nothing but closed
houses, gaping cannon in the streets, and myriads
of soldiers swaggering about, ready to cut down
any defenceless citizen who may chance to look
like a revolutionist.

A short visit satisfies us wdth Messina, pretty as
it is, and we return to our steamer, and, steering
clear of both Scylla and Charybdis, leave the Strait,
and gain the open sea, and are off for Marseilles,
w^hich we reach in little more than two days, with-
out incident, except two or three little storms,
which can be got up at any time on the Mediter-
ranean with five minutes' notice. Soon after leav-
ing Messina we pass the mountain and volcano of
Stromboli, whose glowing furnace looks most bril-
liant at night. We leave the coasts of Sicily, ex-
pecting and hoping soon to hear a good report from
it, for the Sicilians have taken a notion to free them-
selves from the galling yoke of tyranny that has so
long pressed them ; and if Garibaldi should effect a
landing with his daring fillibusters, the work will
be done — and woe to the house of Bourbon ! woe to
the upstart King of Naples ! Could we meet with
Garibaldi's expedition, we should be half inclined to
join it and help him in the glorious w^ork of freeing

358 HAL'S TRAVELS.

a downtrodden people. If the revolutionists in
Sicily succeed, Naples will follow — and then the
powers at Rome may tremble !

But we have no time to speculate. "We approach
Marseilles. The verdant shores of France are before
us. Glorious sight ! "We have longed to quit the
troubled sea, and to reach a land where order pre-
vails. And here we are at last. How beautiful the
city ! N^ot like the cities of the East, only beautiful
from the sea, but its elegant houses, broad, clean
streets are refreshing. Marseilles, for elegance and
beauty, is only second to Paris. But we tarry not
here. Paris is before us, and two days' travel will
land us there, if we go straight through by rail.
But we must halt a little on the way. We must see
the extensive and magnificent remains of Roman
w^orks, especially the old Amphitheatre at Aries.
It is next in size perhaps to the great Coliseum at
Rome. And it will not do to pass through the
ancient and important city of Lyons without stop-
ping. Perhaps we may see some of the descend-
ants of the "Lady of Lyons" and "Melnotte."
"Who knows ? But if we do not, a look into some
of the great silk manufactories will pay us for
stopping. There are more than seven thousand
such establishments in Lyons ! These things, in
connection with the beautiful city, so well situated
at the junction of the Soane and Rhone rivers,
make it well worth while to tarry a day.

And Fontainbleau must be seen. We give a day
to it, driving through its extensive forest and gar-

iial's travels. 359

den, and Avalking through the palace. One day is
not satisfactory, but we are in haste.

Paris at last ! and snugly housed in the Hotel de
Luxembourg, with my old friend John G. to keep
me company. How glad I am to find him once
more ! — and now for a good long rest.

Smith is here, Jones is here, and Miss Kissiah is
here. Brown and the rest are dispersed — some in
Italy, and some gone home. So our party is now
clean "busted up." AVe shall remain here some
time, for it will not do to leave Paris in May.

"When I feel sufficiently rested, I shall perambu-
late Paris with n\y good and faithful friend Smith,
after which I may write you again.

Yours, etc., Hal.

360 HAL'S TRAVELS.

LETTER XXXII.

PARIS.

I HAD intended to write yon a letter tliis morn-
ing, but upon reflection have concluded to write
only an apology. In piping times like these, com-
monplace letters from plodding correspondents are
of no interest whatever to the reading public of our
country, the taste of which has been wound up to a
blood-and-thunder pitch by politicians, bully mem-
bers of Congress, and "fancy" gentlemen of the
" ring." It is, therefore, unnecessary for me to shed
ink with the vain hope of interesting the worthy
people who have so many public interests to look
after, and who have so much to talk about. The
world is in a ferment, and things are happening and
are likely to happen everywhere — especially in our
own country, where the tug of war is setting in oif
a larger scale and more fiercely than that of Gari-
baldi with the Neapolitan Government. I am aw-
fully afraid that that horrid monster, so long looked
for, and so often predicted, is about stalking in at
last to frighten our people into spasms with his
gaunt, spectral visage, and gory locks. I mean the
crisis ! The signs of his coming are vivid, and if he
come, woe be to the faint-hearted !

hal's travels. 361

But, as I said above, I -write tliis note merely as
an apology, instead of a letter, and to reveal to you
the important fact that I am on the point of leaving
the capital of His Imperial Highness for that of Her
Royal Majesty. In other words, I have accepted an
invitation to eat roast-beef and drink 'alf-and-'alf
with my English cousins, and herrings with my
Scotch friends, not forgetting to call by and indulge
in a mess of "praties" with the honest Hibernians.
In short, I am going to " do" Great Britain. My
friend John accompanies me.

I have been trying to get my good friend Smith
to go, but can't. He is willing enough to go him-
self, and anxious, but the ]\Iadam says she is not
through with Paris yet. Smith groans in spirit, and
submits, but says he cannot hold out much longer.
Mrs. S. goes shopping " at all hours of the day and
in all kinds of weather," and has bought more goods
than poor Flora McFlimsey ever dreamed of. Smith
says the expenditures of his wife are intolerable.
But still he submits. A daj' or two ago the Madam
announced her readiness to leave, whereat the old
gentleman was in ecstasies, and came and informed
me of the decision with a beaming face. But an
hour after, the decision was revoked. She has now
determined to stay till after the funeral which she
feels confident will come off in a few da3^s. Prince
Jerome is very ill, and is expected every da}' to die.
She wants to witness the grand funeral pomp, which
she thinks will be one of the most imposing cere-
monies ever got up in Paris. She has a passion for

362 hal's travels.

grand spectacles. (My private opinion is that it is
more of a passion for the company of Major Fitz-
doodle than any thing else that keeps Mrs. S. in
Paris ; but Smith must not know this.)

I regret leaving my good and faithful old friend;
and I verily believe he is sorry to part with me ; but
the parting must come. We have roamed the streets
of Paris both by day and night for several weeks to-
gether— in fact, we have been together daily for
months past : what wonder, then, that we should part
in sorrow ?

Latterly the old gentleman goes to the circus al-
most every night, while the Madam goes to the
opera with Major Fitzdoodle. She will not go to
the circus because she considers it "low," but is
willing, and even anxious, for her "kind and oblig-
ing" husband to go there. Smith says he don't
care a " cuss" for the circus, but he feels certain
that the fellow who performs upon the slackrope
will break his neck some night, and he is anxious
"to be in at the death."

Paris is very gay at this time, and is a hard place
to leave. But this is "the season" in London also.
"We go by the Isle of Wight, where Her Majest}^ is
sojourning at this time.

The Emperor review^ed his troops in the Bois de
Boulogne a few days ago, assisted in the arduous
duty by the Empress and the little Prince. It was
a brilliant spectacle. In returning from the review,
Mr. Smith and myself had the honor of riding near
the Emperor for a mile or more, and, as we rode in

hal's travels. 363

a slow walk, had an excellent opportunity of enter-
ing into a conversation with His Grace — ^but we
did n't. We took off our hats to him, and he took
off his hat to us ; hut, like a modest man that he is,
he said nothing.

But I must close and pack up my duds, for I leave
for Havre, etc., at 12 o'clock. Good-bye.

Hal.

P. S. — My friend Smith has just been in to un-
bosom himself to me. He informs me with a very
long face that Mrs. Smith has gone and bought a
monkey, and has dressed it up in a suit of clothes
just like his. He is terribly distressed, and swears
roundly that he will not stay in Paris three days
longer. He was somewhat put out when his wife
bought the poodle dog, but the monkey has almost
filled the cup of his patience. H.

364 hal's travels.

LETTER XXXIII.

PARIS TO LONDON.

I SENT you a brief apology from Paris last week
instead of a letter. You may think you are going
to get off again as easily. But don't flatter your-
self. I feel rather desperate to-da^^ and shall bore
you just as long as I please. This is a real London
day — dark, chilly, damp, and smoky — and as I can-
not go out to see the sights of the great metropolis,
I must let off steam by inflicting upon you a most
burdensome document.

On the same day I wrote you last, I bade fare-
well to Paris and my friends there — especially the
Smiths — and John and myself made tracks, on the
rail, for Havre, tarrying long enough by the way to
take a bird's-eye view of the ancient and classic city
of Rouen, where relics of antiquity meet the eye at
every turn, and where stands a statue of Joan
of Arc. Arriving at the great commercial city
of Havre — " the Liverpool of France" — we, for the
last time, before embarking for a land of freedom,
went through the nonsensical ceremony of having
our passports overhauled and vised. Then, after

HAL'S TRAVELS. 365

partaking of an enormous beefsteak, and a quantity
of claret, we sallied out and took a look at the quaintly
built and eminently French - looking city; after
which we deposited ourselves at midnight on a
couple of shelves (called berths by courtesy) on
board the little wheezing steamer that plies between
Havre and Southampton. These shelves are said
to have been made to sleep on. That may be, but
the individual must have a copper-lined stomach
who can sleep on such a sea as we passed over that
night. The little steamer heaved and set all night
long — and the great load of passengers did likewise,
until we arrived in the quiet waters of Southampton
ba}^ at nine o'clock the following morning. I never
saw people "cast up accounts" (that's quoted from
Smith) with more earnestness than did that squad
of passengers. Tartar -emetic is a mere circum-
stance to a troubled sea. So, landlubbers, take
warning.

Having arrived at Southampton, we made all
haste to get away from it, for it is not a place for
one to hanker after, particularly in bad weather;
besides, we were greeted on every hand with that
vulgar vernacular, the English language. Every-
body spoke English, and we found our French,
which we had acquired with so much laboi-, utterly
useless. It was downright shocking, and strange
as it was shocking, to hear great round oaths rolled
out in English, after having been deprived of such
a luxury for nearly a year. You have little idea
how strange it seems to hear everybody speak

366 hal's travels.

English, after the ear has been so long accustomed
to different sounds.

Leaving Southampton, we whizzed through a
portion of, perhaps, the best-improved and best-cul-
tivated country on earth, and about two o'clock
found ourselves enveloped in a dark mist, and
almost suffocated with coal-smoke. And this, if
nothing else, would have told us that we were enter-
ing London. Its horrible smell, dark smoked
houses, and crowded streets, were the same that we
had left them months and months before.

And so, here we have been now for six days — and
if I were to tell you that we had good weather for
one-sixth of the time, you might well doubt the
stor3^ It has rained twice since I commenced this
letter, (and I am not a slow writer,) and at the pre-
sent moment it looks like we are going to have a
storm. It would be but little exaggeration to say
that this is the character of the weather we have
had all the time. If it be thus in June, what must
it be in winter ?

Such being the character of the weather, I can't
say that we have enjoj^ed London to an enormous
extent, although we have been pretty constantly on
the pad. Between showers we frequently employ
the time in looking at Loudon and its masses of
humanity from the top of an omnibus. One day
we found it dry enough to visit the Royal Zoologi-
cal Gardens, which paid very well, for we there saw
animals, birds, reptiles, and fishes from all lands and
all waters. Another day, when it was raining, we

HAL S TRAVELS. 367

had ourselves shown through the Bank of Enghand,
the greatest institution of tlie kind in the world.
It covers four acres of ground, and employs a thou-
sand clerks, etc. Between two and three million
dollars in notes are cancelled there daily. Wq were
politely shown through all the departments, and the
stories told us ahout the amount of business trans-
acted in each were so enormous that I have not
been able to retain them in my liead. I remember
one thing, however: In the printing department
we were told that six hundred reams of paper were
used per month to print bank-notes upon ! In one
room a gentleman placed in my hand a bundle of
notes which he said contained two millions and a
half. The bundle was not large nor heavy, but the
same amount in gold would have loaded several
wagons. (The threatened storm is upon us !)

Thursday morning last was dark and lowering as
usual, but John and myself determined to get the
soot and cobwebs from our throats and lungs by
breathing a little pure air. The Ascot races were
going on some twenty-five miles from the city, and
Thursday being the big day, there w^e determined
to go and witness the sports of an English turf.
These races are patronized by the Queen, and
Thursday is called the "Queen's Day." A7e went,
(it is but little more than an hour's ride by railway,)
and, although it was a showery day, everybody and
all their families seemed to be present. Hundreds
of temporary booths were reared on every hand for
the sale of refreshments — principally beef, beer, and

368 hal's travels.

cakes — and John Bull did liis whole duty in the
way of eating and drinking. The racing was
spirited, and so was the betting. The finest horses
of the kingdom, and the noble patrons of the turf,
were all there. Upon the whole, it was a very gay
scene. A little after twelve o'clock the Queen and
all the royal family, accompanied by many noble
foreigners, arrived on the ground, in a procession
of fourteen fine carriages and a numerous host of
outriders in the most brilliant uniform. Their
Royal Highnesses were received with shouts of wel-
come, loud and long — for these English people love
their good little Queen very much. She acknow-
ledged the welcome with graceful bows and waves
of her hand, after which she took her place in the
royal stand, where we could all see and admire her
as much as we pleased. She is a dumpy little body,
but, according to my taste, has a remarkably sweet,
pleasant face — more rounded and fleshy than I ex-
pected to see — decidedly blooming and healthy —
which is a great blessing to her people, for if she
were a pale, delicate-looking woman, the Euglish
ladies would ruin their health trying to look like
her. She was dressed like any other lady, in plain
black, with a white bonnet, not gorgeously trimmed.
Prince Albert is a fine-looking man, but begins to
show age a little. I thought the Prince of Wales
looked rather verdant for a young man of his
advantages. The little ones of the Eoyal Family
all had clean faces, and looked as neat as if they
had just popped out of the bandbox.

hal's travels. 369

Up to the time of the Queen's arrival, the racing
had been of minor importance ; but then the cele-
brated horses were brought out, and the great races
of the day commenced. Five, seven, eight, nine,
and, in one race, fourteen horses were started.
Tlie people became frantic, and for a time seemed
unable to hold themselves upon the ground. Even
royalty itself stood on tiptoe, until the result of the
latter race was announced, and then the air was
rent with yells that would have aroused the envy of
any savage ; and if throats were not rent, it was not
for want of an efibrt Don't understand me to say
that everybody yelled. Far from it: some were
sad enough ; for some were hundreds, and some
thousands of pounds poorer than when they arrived
on the race-course.

The great race being over, the royal family re-
tired, and so did we, and reached London in time
to take our six o'clock dinner of roast-beef and
brown-stout.

Horse-racing is a national institution in England.
So is foot-racing, jumping, lifting, wrestling, etc.
Consequently there arc more fine horses, and more
stout, healthy-looking men, than I have found in
any other country, except it be some parts of Ger-
many, where manly sports are a pastime. The
French are not near so stout or fine-looking as the
English, and the Italians are pigmies in comparison.
The Arabs, with few exceptions, are contemptible
specimens of humanity, and the Turks are little if
any better. Americans, in appearance, occupy a

370 hal's travels.

medium place between the Englisli and French, ap-
proaching perhaps nearer the latter than the former
standard. Perhaps it may be, in part, owing to the
immense amount of beer that is swilled by the Ger-
mans and English, that gives them their superior
portly appearance.

Since the races, we have been circulating at ran-
dom in the parks, on Regent street, Piccadilly, in
the Strand, and steaming it up and down the
Thames. Nights we spend variously : one night to
the opera, another to the Haymarket Theatre, an-
other to the Adelphi, to see the performance of a
first-rate play, called, " Our Female American Cou-
sin," which is done up to admiration by Miss Daly ;
then we go to the Royal Prince's Theatre, to see
Richelieu and Pauline, and again to see the Christy
Minstrels, who are doing a smashing business in a
very poor way. They sing the oldest songs, play
the oldest tricks, and get off the most stale
and contemptible jokes and conundrums that you
can imagine. But the people laugh and applaud,
and that is sufficient. A joke or conundrum that
■would be hissed in Huntsville, will ".bring down
the house" here. After seeing the Christy s once, I
must say that negro-shows are degenerating. Their
plantation melodies and dances, as sung and danced
in London, are about as true to nature as the Demo-
cratic party is to its pledges.

Yesterday (Sunday) we went to Exeter Hall, to
hear the big gun, Spurgeon ; but the big gun had
"gone oftV and we didn't hear him. We heard a

iial's travels. 371

good sermon, nevertheless. A Mr. Northrup,
from the United States, (I don't know what part,)
did what he could towards filling the pulpit of the
big gun. I expected a "flash," but was agreeably
disappointed. He preached an excellent sermon ;
one that, had it been from Spurgeon, would have
been considered one of his best. But it was not
Spurgeon, and therefore many excellent people were
sadly disappointed. It was a good, old-fashioned,
plain sermon ; and I liked it, because it reminded
me of some that I had heard from board pulpits in
the woods, long, long ago, when people used to
come together and pitch their tents in the cool
shady groves, and worship God beside some silent
stream, or bubbling fountain. Mr. Northrup is a
good preacher, be he whom or what he may, or
where from. lie is drawing great crowds here, and
is, I doubt not, doing good. Success to him, and
all who preach simple truth !

To-day we shall call upon our Minister, Mr.
Dallas, to get tickets, and to-morrow shall visit the
two Houses of Parliament. The day after, we go
to Sydenham, to visit the Cr3'stal Palace. Then wo
must go to Hampton Court, and many other places
of interest in and about London. Then ho ! for
other parts! Isle of Wight, Stratford -on -Avon,
Kcnihvorth, etc., etc., etc., etc. And some time,
when we get tired of seeing, we shall call and see
you all — perhaps.

I was thinking, a day or two ago, that I ought to
have written you a letter or two from Paris, giving

372 hal's travels.

an account of what I saw and enjoyed in that city.
But then perhaps it was more merciful in me to
spare you ; for I could have written you nothing
but a batch of such stuff as this. I saw nothing
particularly new. Spent my time in the most use-
less way — dodging in here and out there, popping
up here and down there ; bobbing around generally,
as much pleased with ever}^ thing I saw as a child at
a Punch and Judy show. Lounged in the Garden
of the Tuileries, watching the gay and giddy
throngs of men, women, and happy children ;
strolled through the galleries, and admired the
pictures of the old masters, as well as the sculpture.
And then I walked the most gay and beautiful of
all thoroughfares — Champs Elysees, admiring the
jfine equipages, the beautiful women, and the fine
store-goods they carried on their graceful persons ;
also the Rue de Rivoli, and the Boulevards ; staring
in at the brilliant shop-windows, the like of which
is to be seen nowhere but in Paris. Then, often
the afternoon would find me in the Bois de Bou-
logne, (the finest park I ever saw,) where everybody
goes to enjoy themselves — to see each other — to
show their fine horses, fine carriages, and fine
clothes. There too the Emperor and Empress are
to be seen almost ever}- pleasant evening, his Impe-
rial Highness often driving his own horses — a span
of splendid blacks — one gentleman sitting beside
him, and two on the back seat. He dresses as other
gentlemen, and has no guard. The Empress seldom
rides with the Emperor, but in her own carriage,

iial's travels. 378

with one or two ladies of the Court. She is always
accompanied by a guard of honor. So is the little
Prince Imperial, who also has his own carriage. I
have seen the Emperor on horseback, and little
Prince on a little white pony beside him. He is a
remarkable little fellow, to be little over four years
old. He rides his pony in a lope.

When looking at Napoleon III., like my sensible
friend Smith, I thought it something even to see a
man who is destined to fill as many pages of his-
tory as any man who has preceded him — a man who
is emphatically making history. I am persuaded that
he is the greatest man living, if not the greatest man
who ever lived. When ho speaks a word, it is re-
peated oftener, goes farther, and more importance
is attached to it than the word of any other man.
And I doubt if the man ever lived whose word in-
fluenced the world as does that of the Emperor of
the French. He says little, but he does a great deal.
Like a truly great man, he is even great in little
things. While managing his own great empire, and
at the same time looking over the affairs of the other
nations of Europe, he neglects not the smaller mat-
ters. He has works of public improvement going
on in every part of France — canals, railroads, turn-
pikes, and public buildings ; he encourages agricul-
ture, horticulture, and mechanics ; has an eye to the
public schools, and patronizes the fine arts, nor does
he neglect science ; gets up fairs in every section
of the country for the exhibition of every species
of industr}-, and awards munificent prizes. He

374 hal's travels.

knows the healthful influence of public promenades,
places of resort, fetes, and amusements for the peo-
ple, and provides them. Under his guidance the
police regulations approach very nearly perfection,
and you will as vainly look for riot and disorder in
a French city, as for sobriety and decency at a New
York election. Order, cleanliness, and industry are
visible everywhere in France. In short, Emperor
Kapoleon seems to have an eye to and to promote
every thing calculated to advance his people, be it
small or great. His great mind seems to compre-
hend all, for while he conducts minor matters, he
commands his armies and his navy, and has but
to shake his finger to make proud nations tremble
before him ! Who but Louis JSTapoleon could have
taken the mass of vagabonds and fierce red republi-
cans, such as the French people were a few years
ago, and made such a people and such a govern-
ment ! I doubt if the man lives who could have
done so much. Happy indeed is it for the French
people, and for the world, that a man with such a
mind and such vast power is disposed to do right.

But where am I running to ? I did not intend to
say so much about the French Emperor, much as I
admire him. Hope you will excuse it.

When I left Paris I expected (or at least hoped) to
have been joined before this time by my friends Mr.
and Mrs. Smith. They have not come, nor do I now
expect them to arrive during my stay in London. I
have just received a letter from Mr. S. informing me
of their change of plan. It is in real business

HAL'S TllAVELS. 8T5

style — short, aud to the point. It runs as fol-
lows :

Friend Hal : — You need n't expect mo in London.
Can't come. Sorry to disappoint you, but can't help
it. Mrs. S. has changed her mind. Prince Jerome
did n't die, as was expected, consequently my dear
wife will not be gratified with the sight of a roj'al
funeral-procession. She thinks it very provoking.
She has now taken a notion to go down to Fontain-
bleau instead of London. The Emperor and all his
folks have moved down there. We go to-morrow.
Major Fitzdoodlc goes with us. (And, privately,
my friend, between you and me, I say d — n ISIajor
Fitzdoodle.) He is an upstart. And yet I don't
know how to get rid of him, unless I pull his nose.
And that would not do, as it would wound the feel-
ings of my dear wafe, for she thinks the Major a
very nice man. And, true, he has been very kind
to her.

The Snob family leave to-day for London. You
will no doubt see them, as they intend stopping at
the same old place in Piccadilly. I did hope that
that young flirt, Julia, would take the Major with
her. But not so.

I am ghid to say that Mrs. S. is growling tired of
her monkey. Think she wnll give it up soon. She
has now bought a big green parrot, and a most in-
fernal noisy thing it is.

Hope you will have a good time with the British-
ers. Sorry I cannot be with you.

376 HAL'S TRAVELS.

That cussed fool of a rope-jumper at the circus
came very near breaking his neck last night.

Respectfully yours, Smith.

So, in all probability, I shall see my good friend
no more. I shall therefore hurry through my tra-
vels in the British Isles, and make a break for a
country where I can get corn-bread.

"Wish Smith a pleasant sojourn at Fontainbleau,
and -hope that something may turn up to give him a
chance to pull Fitzdoodle's nose.

The sun has now come out, and I will close and
go out to enjo}' its pleasant smiles.

Yours, etc., Hal.

P. S. — The steamer " Great Eastern" will sail for
l!^ew York next Saturday. I would take passage on
her but for a few reasons. First, I have not seen
enough of this country. Second, John is afraid to
risk his life on the first voyage of the monster, and
I can't leave him. Third, I understand the places
are all taken, and I could not get a berth even if I
wanted it. Fourth, and lastly, the great ship will
cause an immense sensation when she reaches Amer-
ica, and my own arrival, I fear, would be compar-
atively unnoticed by the great public; and that
would be mortifying, 3'ou know. The New Yorkers,
I guess, will find it difficult to contain themselves
when they see the Great Eastern in their waters.
"Wonder if they have got their City Hall rebuilt, so
they can get up another bonfire, as in the case of
the telegraphic cable ?

nAL'S TRAVELS. 377

I guess you read the papers, and know what Gari-
baldi is doing ; that he has flogged the Koyal Nea-
politan troops, and captured Palermo, the capital of
Sicily. He has sworn that the King of Naples shall
no longer rule the Sicilians, and has made a glorious
beginning towards carrying out his oath. If he
does not take the Bourbon yoke from the whole
Neapolitan kingdom, I shall be mightily deceived.
I once thought seriously of going to Sicily, but when
I thought of the intensely hot climate, and the heat-
ing nature of the work likely to be encountered, I
thought it more prudent to keep at a distance. I
might, if seriously and urgently requested to do so,
consent to die for my own country. But then, to
die for the priest-worshipping, macaroni-eating Ita-
lians, is another thing altogether.

But still, I swing my cap in the air, and cry, " Vive
le General Garibaldi!"

It is now preparing to rain again, and I am
tempted to write several more pages, to kill time.
But I '11 spare you. H.

378 HAL'S TRAVELS.

LETTER XXXIV.

LONDON TO ISLE OF WIGHT, STRATFORD-ON-AVON, ETC.

I AM on the wing now, and cannot take time to
burden you with much of a letter. I must, how-
ever, bring m}- self up "to the scratch" long enough
to pen you a running account — very brief — of the
incidents, adventures, and experiences, picked up
along the way since my last letter.

Before leaving London, John and myself spent
one day in the Crystal Palace; but to undertake to
give an account of so huge an establishment in one
little letter, would be downright presumption, not
to say foolishness. In fact, what I saw there is so
promiscuously jumbled and tangled in my mind,
that I doubt if I could write intelligibly about it. I
only have a confused idea of an immense building,
stored with some of almost every thing under the
sun. I have a dim remembrance of a thousand little
shops, and a thousand pretty girls behind a thousand
little counters, selling thousands and thousands of
little trinkets and gimcracks to the visitors; also
have a faint impression that there was an immense
amount of machinery, agricultural implements, stat-
uary, paintings, gardens, fountains, beasts, birds,

hal's travels. 379

fishes, and reptiles ; wax-works, and specimens of
every stj^le of architecture, ancient and modern ;
restaurants, beer-saloons, and music in various parts
of the establishment. Also have an idea that the
building is made entirely of iron and glass, and
think that something was said by somebody about
its covering nineteen acres of ground — perhaps three
stories high. I remember that I did a most excel-
lent day's work in the way of walking through the
different departments of the palace. Blistered feet
impress this fact vividly. Was decidedly pleased
•with my visit, and am resolved to stay a week next
time I go.

Another day we spent at Windsor Castle — the
grand and magnificent old pile — founded by William
the Conqueror, and which has been the seat of royalty
ever since his day. Palace ver}- fine, but not so
rich as some in France. Park very extensive,
stocked with deer and buffalo, and in it an eques-
trian statue of George III., in bronze — the largest I
ever saw. Was shown " Heme's Oak," immortalized
by Shakspeare. The stock of "Merry Wives" is
not entirely extinct, judging by the gay and flaunt-
ing dresses we saw flitting about the lawns of
Windsor. The celebrated Eton College is at
Windsor.

Went to Exeter Hall one night in London, to
hear John B. Gough deliver himself of one of his
thrilling temperance lectures. Ho spread himself
for two hours, and poured out more eloquence than
I ever heard before — presenting figures gaunt and

380 hal's travels.

ghastly, such as made the hair stand on end, the
blood run cold, and the very marrow chill in the
bones. And all the while he spoke he paced his
long stage from end to end like a chained bear,
looking more like a maniac than a rational being.
Should not be surprised if the man does go totally
deranged, for he really seems verging that way.
Towards the conclusion of his lecture, when he
seemed to have finished the work of annihilating
the monster intemperance, and just at the point
where he ought to have stopped, he travelled con-
siderably out of his way to lug in his abolitionism,
and denounced slavery, (stealing the words of that
Congress fellow,) as "the sum total of all villainy."
And this of course "brought down the house," as
might be expected of an English audience. He
wound up by announcing his determination to go
home and preach a crusade against slavery during
the Presidential canvass. I predict that John B.
Gough will be in the Lunatic Asylum before very
long.

Three or four days ago, having "done" London
as well as circumstances permitted, we packed up
our duds, and with perfectly dry eyes bade farewell
to our sorrowing landlady. At London Bridge sta-
tion we took the train, and a last look at the eter-
nalh'-befogged and besmoked old city. Two hours
express time, through a country of rare richness
and beauty, brought us to Brighton, on the sea-
coast — a city remarkable as a place of fashionable
resort for London sea-bathers — and more remark-

HAL'S TRAVELS. 381

able as a resort for Loudon Sabbath-breakers, as
you may judge when I tell you that excursion trains
run between London and Brighton every Sunday,
carrying passengers at less than one-fourth the reg-
ular fare. Consequently, many thousands who de-
sire to get on a "bust," escape from the vigilance
of the city police, and go to Brighton — provided
they can raise two-and-a-sixpence to pay their fare.
Without tarrying at Brighton, we hastened on to
Portsmouth — two hours farther — where we desired
very much to get a peep into the great Government
Dock-yard, where war-ships, cannon, and all sorts
of destructive materials are turned out. In this we
failed, for none but Her Majesty's faithful subjects
are permitted to see the savage preparations there
going on. We tried very hard to look like regular
beef-eating Britons, and in addressing the gate-
keeper I even adopted the cockney lingo, telling
tlie faithful guardian that we were "hanxious" to
see the "hoperation" of making the"'orrid him-
plements" of war. But the man at the gate, with a
knowing look, gave us to understand that he was
"up to snuff," and that Ave could not come it over
him with our "haitches." Intimated that he knew
a Yankee as for as he could see him. So, not being
able to see the Dock-yard, we had to content our-
selves vfith the other lions of the town, the which
we were kindly shown by Mr. B., a gentleman con-
nected with the public works, and to whom I had a
letter of introduction. We saw the fine old man-of-

882 hal's travels.

war "Victory," the game on which Lord Nelsoji fell
in an engagement with the French fleet.

Late in the evening we quitted Portsmouth, and
on a little cockle-shell of a steamer were brought
safely to Cowes, and here we have been luxuriating
ever since in the beauties of one of the most lovely
isles of the ocean — the gem of all islands — the
crowning jewel of Great Britain. The Garden of
Eden could have been little fairer than the Isle of
Wight.

Yesterday we spent the entire day in riding about
from place to place in a carriage, visiting Carisbrooke
Castle, some old ivy-covered churches, and other in-
teresting spots. To-day we have made almost the
complete circuit of the island on the top of a stage-
coach.

Yes, the stage-coach ! "Who does not love to
travel by coach ? Ay, but it is glorious ! The
four large prancing horses — the hugely proportioned
coach — the short pursy driver in high-topped boots,
with fair round belly, fat red face, and two peering
little eyes, twinkling on each side of a big purple
nose, on which the delicate gin-blossoms are just
beginning to bloom ! And then the proud flourish
and cracking of the long whip — the " windir\g of the
mellow horn" — the start, and brisk clatter through
the village streets, to the mortal terror of old wo-
men and little children, who scramble out of the
way, and look enviously at us as we pass ! How
like the olden time before the innovation of the

nAL'S TRAVELS. 883

railway ! It is a good thing to travel by stage-coach
over these firm, smooth English roads ! I was hon-
ored with a seat on the box by the side of our
dumpy little driver, whom I soon found to be a very
knowing man, and not at all disposed to hide his
light under a bushel, lie had imbibed a sufficient
number of "horns" to make him "mellow," and was
therefore in a capital humor for imparting just such
information as I desired. lie knew the island per-
fectly, and could tell the history of every old church,
castle, and ruin upon it. He told me he had been
driving the coach here for just twenty-one years ;
but to hear him talk, one might think he had been
driving for centuries, and had known the island in-
timately since the days of its Norman conquerors.
He knew the very spot on which the fugitive Charles
I. landed, the room in which he was imprisoned in
Carisbrooke Castle, and pointed out the very win-
dow from which the unfortunate King made several
unsuccessful attempts to escape. Knew Osburn
House perfectly, and seemed intimately acquainted
with the private chambers occupied by Her Majesty
during her visits to the island. Had heard of Legh
Richmond, and the Dairyman's Daughter, and had
even gathered iiowers from little Jane's grave on
one occasion for one of his lady passengers. His
knowledge, however, was confined entirely to the
island, as I discovered when I took out my pipe for
a smoke. He asked me where I had got such a
" 'orrid houtlandish pipe ?" Told him it was a pipe
I had ffot an artist to carve for me in Jerusalem,

384 hal's travels.

from a knot of olive-wood. He repeated the word
"Jerusalem" several times, and said lie thought he
had heard of the place before. Asked if it was in
the United States.

You must know that the Isle of "Wight seems
almost like holy ground to me. Many years ago I
read some little books which gave me a strong
desire to see the island; and now that I am upon
it, it seems that I am treading upon sacred soil.
The little books I allude to are those written by
Rev. Legh Richmond, the foremost and best of
which is, I think, "The Dairyman's Daughter," a
little book that no one can read attentively without
profit; and I heartily recommend it to all my young
friends — ay, and older ones too. Also, the "Young
Cottager," and "Cottage Conversation." Also,
some little books of perhaps no less value, by Rev.
W. Adams : " The Shadow of the Cross," " The
Distant Hills," "The Old Man's Home," and "The
King's Messengers." The reading of these little
simple stories gave a charm and a beauty to the
whole island that I could not have otherwise seen.
I trust they may all continue to be read as long as
time lasts. A visit to some of the old churches and
churchyards has been exceedingly interesting, and
even edifying. Brading Church, where the good
Richmond used to preach the pure and simple
gospel truth, is a pleasant place to visit. And just
beside the church is the grave of "Little Jane," the
pure "Young Cottager," whose simple story has
been so extensively and profitably read by multi-

hal's travels. 385

tudes of people. I have copied the Hues inscribed
on her tomb :

" Yc who the power of God delight to trace,
And mark with joy each monument of grace,
Tread lightly o'er this grave, as ye explore
The short and simple annals of the poor.
A child reposes underneath this sod —
A child to memory dear, and dear to God.
Rejoice, yet shed the sympathizing tear,
Jane, the 'Young Cottager,' lies buried here!"

In Arreton churchyard is the grave of the good
and lamented Mr. Adams. It is a simple, unpre-
tending tomb, and above it is suspended a metal
cross, so that whenever the sun shines, its shadow
is cast upon the white marble slab which covers the
tomb. This was done in honor of the little book he
wrote, entitled, "The Shadow of the Cross." I
thought the monument quite appropriate.

In the same churchyard is the tomb of Elizabeth
Wallbridge, "The Dairyman's Daughter." There
are three grassy hillocks side by side. One of these
has a tombstone to the memory of Elizabeth ; an-
other has a stone in memory of her sister; the
other, which has no stone at all, is over the father
and mother. I also copied the lines from this tomb,
rather long, but at the risk of being tedious I shall
insert them here, for I know they will be gladly
read by all who have read the touching story of
" The Dairyman's Daughter :"

" Stranger ! if e'er, by chance or feeling led,
Upon this hallowed turf thy footsteps tread,
13

386 HAL'S TRAVELS.

Turn from the contemplation of the sod,
And think on her whose spirit rests with God.
Lowly her lot on earth ; but He who bore
Tidings of grace and blessings to the poor,
Gave her, his truth and faithfulness to prove,
The choicest treasures of liis boundless love :
Faith that dispelled affliction's darkest gloom ;
Hope, that could cheer the passage to the tomb ;
Peace, that not hell's dark legions could destroy ;
And Love, that filled the soul with heavenly joy.
Death of its sting disarmed, she knew no fear,
But tasted heaven e'en while she lingered here.
0 happy saint ! may we, like thee, be blest —
In life be faithful, and in death find rest !"

We also found it pleasant to visit tlie cottages
once occupied by the "Dairyman's Daughter," and
" Little Jane." A description of these cottages and
churches, and the surrounding scenery, will be
found vividly and beautifully depicted in the little
books I have mentioned.

I have written more than I intended, but I hope
you will read it with good nature. I shall close
now, and take a little sleep. To-morrow we go
north, to visit Oxford, Warwick, Stratfond-on-Avon,
Kenilworth Castle, etc. Will finish this letter, and
mail it, after I have seen those places. For the
present, adieu.

Stratfoed-on-Avon, June 21, 1860.

The thoughts and emotions in my heart this
morning are almost too big for utterance. To be
silent would therefore be more seemly. I must tell
you, however, that I am here — here in Stratford-on-

hal's travels. 387

Avon — the place wlicrc Sliakspeare was bom, and
lived, and died — and wliere his bones are buried. I
have seen tbe room in wliicli lie was born — wliere
lie was nursed, " mewling and puking in his nurse's
arms" — the great broad lireplace by which he was
taught his ABC, and where he was no doubt often
spanked and sent to bed for his waywardness. I
have sat in the chair in which he sat, and seen the
table on which he wrote. His tomb is in the great
old church which stands on the margin of the sweet
flowing Avon, and his famil}' repose beside him.

And besides the emotions caused by the know-
ledge that I am where Shakspcare lived, and look
upon scenes that he looked upon, I am even domi-
ciled at the "Red Horse Tavern," in the same
room, and writing upon the same table on Avhich
the immortal Geofircy Crayon wrote his sketches.
His picture hangs upon the wall, and the identical
sceptre he held in his hand, when "monarch of all
he surveyed," is reposing by the fireplace, in the
shape of a huge iron poker. The words " Gcoifrey
Crayon's sceptre" are engraved upon it, and shown
by mine host with much gusto. AYashington Irving
is almost as well known here as Shakspearo.

I have just returned from a pleasant walk of a
mile across the fields to the cottage of " Sweet
Anne Hathaway." Travelled the same road, no
doubt, that wild Will used to travel, when paying
stolen visits to his Anne, when she was less repu-
table, perhaps, than in later years. It is a neat
thatch-roofed cottage, with a venerable look, and is

388 HAL'S TRAVELS.

said to be still occupied by descendants of the Hatb-
aways. They show some ancient furniture, said to
have belonged to Anne.

I have been to Warwick, visited Warwick Castle
and Guy's Cliff, and seen many things there, old,
quaint, and curious. Have also visited Kenilworth
Castle, a venerable old ruin. Saw the tower in
which the lovely but unfortunate Amy Robsart was
confined, and was shown the grotto in which she
was discovered by Queen Elizabeth, on her visit to
Kenilworth. But all these things are too much to
put in this letter.

We now leave for the ancient city of Chester,
and from there we go to Bangor, in Wales, to see
the great tubular and suspension bridges across the
Aienai Straits, and the immense slate quarry near
that town, where four thousand eight hundred men
are engaged in quarrying slate. Then, ho ! for a
visit to the "cannie Scots" and the "wild Irish-
men." So, till you hear from me again, good-bye.

Hal.

P. S. — I will not bore you with the political news
from this side the water; but really the Eastern
world seems to be in a ferment. Sicily, under the
influence of Garibaldi, is boiling like a pot — Naples
seems on the eve of being wiped out — the Vatican is
thundering ominously, and Ireland is in a stew,
sending off recruits for the army of his Holiness —
Sardinia is trembling between the menaces of Eome
and Austria — Turkey is cowering beneath the out-

HAL'S TRAVELS. 389

stretched claw of Eussia ; and even John Bull is
turning pale before the fancied hostile intentions
of the French Emperor. So you see Europe is in a
perfect hubbub. And even in Asia Minor the work
of blood is going on. I have just received a letter
from the American Consul in Beyrout, which closes
as follows :

" Syria is now in a blaze of civil war. More than
sixty villages have been burned. Hundreds of
Christians have been killed, and the work of blood
is still progressing. The Druses, aided by the
Turks, obtain the victory everywhere. We are
only saved from a Moslem insurrection in Beyrout
by the presence of a Russian frigate."

This war was brewing when I was in Beyrout.

H.

390 HAL'S TRAVELS.

CONCLUSION.

Now, good friends, we will cease our wanderings.
"We have had a long tour, which I trust you have
found pleasant, and not altogether unprofitable.
"We have seen much to condemn, and much to
approve ; much to laugh at, and much to sorrow
over. "We have pressed through swarms of gaunt
beggars, and jostled against gilded nobility — the
oppressed and oppressors crowding along the same
streets. The latter we looked upon with indigna-
tion, while we enjoy the consoling thought that our
coppers have often appeased the gnawing hunger of
the former. We have been often vexed by police
and custom-house officers, and cheated times almost
without number. But these are petty annoyances
that all must submit to who go out to see the world
as it is, and they should be borne with patience.

At some future time I may ask you to accom-
pany me further through the kingdom of Great
Britain, when we will visit the manufacturing cities
and rural districts of England, the mountainous
regions of Wales, the cities and highlands of Scot-
land, when we will climb the Bens and sail upon

hal's travels. 391

the Lochs of that classic country ; and then through
Ireland, where "praties" abound, and many queer
things are to he seen.

For the present, farewell ; and may the remainder
of your journey through life be as pleasant as our
late travels have been to me ! So mote it be.

THE END,

Date Due

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Llbrvy Buraaa Cat. no. 1137

914 W656

1637

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Hal*s Travels

ISSUED TO

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914 W656

163745